- MOSAICS is an LGBTQ+ affinity group for Syracuse faculty and staff.
- The group sponsors events and activities as well as participates in community-wide gatherings like CNY Pride.
- Zia Jackson ’20 founded MOSAICS in 2025 to help LGBTQ+ employees feel “safe, seen and included.”
Liam Lockhart ’25 at a crafting party ahead of the CNY Pride Festival and Parade. He recently joined MOSAICS, an LGBTQ+ employee affinity group at Syracuse University.
When Liam Lockhart ’25 joined the staff at Syracuse University, one of their first moves was to strengthen their sense of community on campus.
A graduate of the School of Information Studies, Lockhart was familiar with some of the student resources for the LQBTQ+ community. But what about those for LGBTQ+ faculty and staff.
“I heard about MOSAICS through the Maxwell [School] Staff Council, which supports initiatives that cultivate a positive work environment,” Lockhart recalls. “It was important for me to branch out, and I’m glad I did.”
Open to all Syracuse employees, MOSAICS is an LGBTQ+ affinity group built around a shared identity. The 65-member organization engages in educational, cultural and social activities in conjunction with the Office of People and Culture (OPC).
Our presence at Pride shows that the University supports queer faculty and staff at every stage of their journey. It also sends a message to current and prospective students and employees that they matter.”
Zia Jackson '20, founder of MOSAICS
MOSAICS organizes the University’s involvement in CNY Pride, which attracts more than 20,000 people.
“Being able to meet coworkers with a familiar perspective is something for which I’m grateful,” Lockhart says. “MOSAICS is where I go to feel safe, seen and included.”
That’s the idea, explains Zia Jackson ’20, who founded MOSAICS more than a year ago. Her goal from the get-go has been to foster a “sense of inclusive culture” at Syracuse by providing safe spaces for queer employees to connect.
Programming includes MOSAICS-sponsored events, like Board Game Night and an annual sign- and button-making workshop ahead of the CNY Pride Festival and Parade.
MOSAICS also partners with other organizations on campus for events like Drag Trivia and the Fashion Feeds charity fashion show and contributes to community-wide gatherings, including CNY Pride, the Big Queer Beach Day and the CNY Queer Self-Defense Class.
“We’re not the first queer group for Syracuse employees, but we’re one of the most enthusiastic,” Jackson says. “MOSAICS signals the University’s commitment to providing a welcoming campus.”
A Sense of Community
“We’re not the first queer group for Syracuse employees, but we’re one of the most enthusiastic,” says Zia Jackson ’20, who founded MOSAICS in 2025.
Jackson got the idea for MOSAICS, last year, at an OPC affinity group mixer.
“I was offered the opportunity to start a group and, along with a few colleagues, jumped at the chance,” recalls the Syracuse University Art Museum administrator.
The name “MOSAICS” is metaphorical because its members are like “colorful pieces that come together to form a beautiful picture of joy, support and representation,” Jackson explains.
Jackson (above) describes MOSAICS as a platform for “activism, education and community building.” “Everyone matters,” she says.
Not surprisingly, MOSAICS features a broad cross-section of the University’s workforce, from part-time staff members to fully tenured professors.
A common thread among the members is the desire to see Syracuse University students succeed.
“Many people in MOSAICS are advisors, mentors, instructors and administrators,” Jackson continues. “We believe in the University’s core mission of preparing all students for academic and professional success.”
She, Lockhart and others at Syracuse are going “all in” on this year’s CNY Pride, which features more than 20,000 attendees. “It’s our biggest stage yet,” Lockart adds.
Jackson “inherited the Pride baton” from Lisa GreenPope G’25 and Kathleen Coughlin G’02, both of whom previously organized the University’s involvement in the annual parade.
“Our presence at Pride shows that the University supports queer faculty and staff at every stage of their journey,” Jackson says. “It also sends a message to current and prospective students and employees that they matter.”
Feeling Accepted and Respected
MOSAICS has more than 65 members, from part-time staffers to fully tenured professors.
A graduate of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Jackson has big plans for MOSAICS. One of them is to increase faculty involvement, particularly among scholars and researchers in queer studies.
LGBTQ+ students, in turn, benefit from targeted mentorships and inclusive educational policies. And perhaps most importantly, “safe learning environments.”
“Our events are more than celebrations or gatherings—they’re powerful platforms for activism, education and community building,” Jackson continues. “We create spaces where everyone feels accepted and respected.”
