She Wore the Uniform, Earned the Degree, and Never Stopped Serving
Friday, May 8, 2026 | 8:00–9:00 AM ET | K.G. Tan Auditorium, National Veterans Resource Center
Some keynote speakers are chosen for their resume and their accolades. Alison Murray, Assistant Dean of Hendricks Chapel, has both and a story that our student veterans can relate to.
Before she was this year’s keynote speaker, Lt. Col. Alison Murray ’01, P’26, U.S. Army (Ret.) was a student on this campus, training as an Army ROTC cadet, cheering at games, and working toward the same milestone our graduates are reaching now. Today, she is still part of the Syracuse community, which makes this moment even more meaningful. As she delivers the keynote address, she will also watch her son, Dwayne II, walk across the stage and join the Syracuse alumni community.
She Started Right Where You Did
Murray grew up in Severna Park, Maryland, and came to Syracuse University as a nursing major in the late ’90s, balancing Army ROTC and cheerleading while working toward her degree. That combination of discipline and dedication turned out to be a fitting preview of her career ahead.
After graduating from the Class of 2001 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she commissioned as a second lieutenant and spent the next 20 years in the Army Nurse Corps. Over those two decades, she rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and held leadership roles that would be impressive by any standard, military or civilian.
Twenty Years of Showing Up
She served in Korea as Deputy Chief of Clinical Education at the 121st Combat Support Hospital. She was Chief Nursing Information Officer at Walter Reed. She was the Chief Information Officer at Brooke Army Medical Center, where she led more than 170 people, managed a $14 million IT budget, and oversaw the migration of 37,000 devices and 2,000 clinical systems. She finished her active-duty career as Assistant Deputy Commander for Nursing at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, running executive oversight for 900 staff across a 110-bed facility.
Her lane was always the intersection of healthcare and technology: figuring out how to use innovation to make care better for real people. She carried that same drive into the civilian world after retirement, joining Trinity Health as Vice President and Transformation Officer, where she led the national rollout of a virtual nursing model with a $16 million budget behind it.
She did not slow down.
And Then She Came Home
These days, Murray is back in Syracuse and she’s spending her time taking care of students. As Assistant Dean for Student Assistance at Hendricks Chapel, she connects students facing financial hardship or food insecurity with the support they need, including through the Coach Dick MacPherson Food Pantry. She also teaches as adjunct faculty at SUNY Onondaga Community College, mentoring the next wave of health professionals.
Beyond campus, she stays deeply rooted in the Syracuse community through her involvement with the Syracuse Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Syracuse Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and The Syracuse Chapter of The Links, Inc.
Her husband, Dwayne Murray (’97), is a retired Army Officer and currently the Deputy Director of the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs at Syracuse University. The Murrays are, simply put, all in on Syracuse and all in on veterans.
To the Student Veterans Crossing This Stage
This moment means something different when you have worn the uniform. This moment reflects years of service, transition, and the work of building what comes next. Murray knows that firsthand: she’s lived it, and she understands what it takes to keep moving forward. Today, she stands with you as someone who has been there.
RSVP for May 8th Student Veteran Commencement: https://bit.ly/42aDKZI
A lunch reception will follow in the Bisignano Grand Hall, and yes, Otto will be there.
