The 2025-26 news cycle was characterized by tumultuous national politics, student advocacy and new leadership in Binghamton University’s administration. Pipe Dream’s News Desk created a list of last year’s top stories, which include the selection of BU’s new president and local responses to changing federal policy.
Anne D’Alleva selected as BU president
Over 10 months after former BU President Harvey Stenger announced that he would be leaving his post in October 2024, the SUNY Board of Trustees named Anne D’Alleva as the University’s next president. D’Alleva, the former provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut, began her duties at BU on Nov. 1, 2025.
D’Alleva, UConn’s first female provost, was selected from over 90 applicants to the position. At her appointment in October, D’Alleva shared “build even greater research strength, expand economic impact and extend the University’s reach across New York, the nation and the world.”
University adopts Genetec Security Center platform for streamlined surveillance
Binghamton University partnered with Genetec, a Montreal-based surveillance solutions company, prior to the 2025-2026 academic year, uniting its 1,635 surveillance cameras and over 4,800 access control readers into a single system. A case study produced by Genetec cited managing unexpected large gatherings as a reason for adopting its enhanced surveillance tools.
A B-Line announcement released on Aug. 21, 2025, warned students against protests and encampments without following University guidelines. The announcement read that the right to express ideas is not “absolute,” and that any protest that “disrupts the University’s academic mission, interferes with the free expression of others or threatens members of the campus community or campus property” will not be tolerated.
Binghamton University named on Forbes’ Top 25 Public Colleges list
Binghamton University was ranked on Forbes’ “Top 25 Public Colleges” list for the first time in September 2025. BU, ranked at No. 24, was the only public college or university in New York to make the list.
The list’s rankings were based on a variety of metrics, including alumni salary and hiring after graduation, financial success, academic outcomes for students, retention rate and return on investment for students. The Forbes list recognized BU for its research, specifically in the fields of clean energy and battery technology.
Charlie Kirk, right-wing activist and social media personality, dead at 31
Charlie Kirk, right-wing activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was killed at age 31 on Sept. 10, 2025. During an event at Utah Valley University, Kirk was answering questions from a crowd of students when shots were fired. According to a video captured of the shooting, Kirk was struck in the neck. After being rushed to the hospital in critical condition, his death was confirmed by President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social. Tyler Robinson, 23, has been accused of the homicide and is being charged with capital murder. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. (13)
Turning Point attempted to open a chapter at BU in 2019 and with the BU College Republicans for an event in November 2019. The table drew counterprotesters who attempted to tear down a sign that read “I’M PRO CHOICE. PICK YOUR GUN” hours after a school shooting in Santa Clarita, California.
Binghamton police chief to step down
Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski stepped down on Oct. 6, 2025, following over two months of paid administrative leave and an ongoing investigation into an altercation involving his girlfriend and two teenagers on July 18, 2025.
In a video that circulated on social media, Susan Rice, 44, reportedly approached two teenage boys on the front porch of a Johnson City home. After arguing with the teenagers and making inflammatory comments like “What do you do, Section 8?” Rice walked onto the porch and punched both teens.
Zikuski had served as Binghamton’s police chief since 2008. He was placed on administrative leave in 2015 for over three months following sexual harassment allegations.
Campus dining locations hit with numerous health code violations
Several campus dining locations at Binghamton University were found to have multiple health code violations. Health inspectors at the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center documented numerous violations since Oct. 23, 2020, with the dining hall failing seven of eight health inspections conducted since that date. Hinman Dining Center, Appalachian Collegiate Center and the College-in-the-Woods Dining Center also consistently failed health inspections.
The six most recent health inspections uncovered several “noncritical” violations, including the inappropriate use and storage of clean utensils and equipment. The most recent health inspection, completed on Oct. 16, 2025, listed “insects, rodents present” as a noncritical violation.
Chinese whistleblower held by ICE in Broome County Jail
A Chinese whistleblower and asylum seeker, Guan Heng, a Chinese national who sought asylum in the United States in 2021, was arrested in August 2025 and detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Broome County Correctional Facility. Guan allegedly documented the imprisonment of Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, China by the Chinese Communist Party.
Pipe Dream interviewed Guan’s lawyer, Chen Chuangchaung, who explained that Guan was at risk of being deported to Uganda through the “third country removal” process. The plan has since been dropped, and Guan was granted asylum in February.
Binghamton community rallies against ICE, hosts vigil days after Alex Pretti shooting
Students, community members and local activists gathered in downtown Binghamton in February to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and remember the lives of individuals who were killed by ICE officials.
The events were held after Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen who worked as an intensive care unit nurse, was killed on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis by a federal immigration official. Participants also denounced the Broome County Sheriff’s Office collaboration with ICE.
Binghamton University student wins golden ticket on ‘American Idol’
Jesse Findling, a junior double majoring in biology and musical theatre at BU, received a golden ticket during the season 24 premiere of “American Idol.”
Findling received a standing ovation from Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan and a ticket to compete in Hollywood after his “American Idol” audition in Nashville. During his audition, Findling recounted his struggle with having a stutter since elementary school and said the challenge helped instill his love for singing.
University will not renew partnership with Sodexo, selects new food service provider
Binghamton University announced it will not renew its food contract with Sodexo in February after a year of student activism surrounding campus dining over concerns about food safety, dining accessibility and meal plan affordability.
BU opted instead for a new 10-year partnership with Chartwells Higher Education, which operates at more than 330 colleges and universities. The University’s contract with Chartwells began on June 1, 2026.
Vigil held for unhoused man allegedly attacked by teenagers in Binghamton
A vigil was held on May 5 to honor Peter Bennedum, an unhoused man who was allegedly attacked by five teenagers in Binghamton. The vigil was intended to “honor Peter’s life, celebrate his memory, and keep his light shining in our hearts.”
Bennedum, 45, was found unconscious by police at the intersection of Carroll and Henry Streets around 11 p.m. on April 27. On Tuesday, May 5, the afternoon of the vigil, Bennedum was taken off life support and subsequently died. Five juvenile suspects have been accused of the attack, and four of them have been charged with second-degree attempted murder.
Protesters rally against Flock Safety on campus
On International Workers’ Day, celebrated annually on May 1, more than 100 students and community members gathered on campus to demand that Binghamton University end its contract with Flock Safety. More than 50 student organizations sponsored the walkout.
Since 2023, the University has partnered with Flock to operate automated license plate readers “at all campus entrances, including the campuses in Johnson City and downtown Binghamton,” per the University Police Department website. Members of the Young Democratic Socialists of America and other student organizations voiced concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement potentially using Flock’s data to investigate undocumented individuals.