The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs will host a panel discussion and film screening on Monday, Sept. 14, examining the heroism and resiliency that emerged from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 25 years after the tragedy reshaped the nation.

The event, “25 Years Later: The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11,” begins at 4 p.m. with a panel discussion in the K.G. Tan Auditorium at the National Veterans Resource Center, followed by a screening of the documentary The Heroism and Resiliency of 9/11: From Tragedy to Triumph. The film is directed by Michael Gier and narrated by Gary Sinise.

Dean David M. Van Slyke will moderate the panel that brings together voices from journalism, security policy and international affairs, alongside Syracuse University alumnus Chris Meek ’92, G’18.  

Meek earned a bachelor's degree in political science and economics and an executive master of public administration from Maxwell. He served on the school's advisory board for 10 years and is the founder and CEO of the 9/11 Legacy Foundation and executive producer of the featured documentary. He was working at Goldman Sachs less than half a mile from Ground Zero on the morning of the attacks. He and his colleagues evacuated their office and sought refuge at the American Stock Exchange, where they were when the North Tower collapsed.

Meek has authored three books, Next Steps Forward: Beyond Remembering, The Power of Action (SoldierStrong, 2022), Everyday Triumphs: Extraordinary Stories of Hope, Resilience, and Impact (self-published, 2025) and Keeping Our Nation’s Promise: 9/11 and the Stories that Still Shape Us (Amplify Publishing, 2026).

His writings and launch of the 9/11 Legacy Foundation seek to preserve the stories of survivors, first responders and victims' families for a generation with no living memory of the attacks.

“Seeing those first responders running toward trouble, running toward the World Trade Center because it’s their job and that’s what they needed to do is one of my most lasting memories from that day,” said Meek in an interview last fall. “Because of those first responders, I knew I had to do something to give back.”

Joining Meek on the panel are Mark J. Lodato, dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications; Renée de Nevers, associate professor of public administration and international affairs; and Vice Adm. Robert Murrett (Ret.), professor of practice of public administration and international affairs.

The panelists bring unique perspectives to the discussion. A former television journalist and dean of Newhouse since 2020, Lodato reported on 9/11 from the Pentagon. De Nevers is a senior research associate at the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration whose research focuses on international security and terrorism. She is coauthor of Combating Terrorism: Strategies and Approaches (Congressional Quarterly Press, 2008).  Murrett is deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law. He was assigned as the senior intelligence officer for U.S. Joint Services Command that was responsible for the domestic military response to the 9/11 attacks.

The event is free and open to the public. Those requiring accommodations should contact Nell Bartkowiak at nsbartko@syr.edu.