The “Picturing the Pandemic” exhibition can be found in the first floor foyer of Maxwell Hall until May 15.

For the next month the Maxwell School鈥檚 Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) will help us remember this time by hosting a traveling version of an exhibition titled “Picturing the Pandemic: Images from the Pandemic Journaling Project.”

The exhibition is drawn from a collection of images and audio files contributed to the Pandemic Journaling Project (PJP), which was started in May 2020 by a team of researchers from the University of Connecticut and Brown University. Their goal was to create an online archive of COVID-19 stories, described as a 鈥済rassroots collaborative ethnography.鈥� By May 2022, over 1,800 people from 55 countries had shared nearly 27,000 online journal entries of text, images and audio鈥攊ncluding almost 3,000 photos.

Maxwell is the seventh stop for “Picturing the Pandemic,” following exhibitions in Heidelberg, Mexico City and Toronto, as well as Hartford, Connecticut, where the show was first launched in 2022.听 The from phase one of the wider PJP early in 2024, making it a natural stop for the traveling exhibition. The exhibition can be found in the first floor foyer of Maxwell Hall until May 15.

The kickoff of the exhibition included a panel discussion featuring PJP co-founders Associate Professor Sarah S. Willen of the University of Connecticut and Associate Professor Katherine A. Mason of Brown University, as well as University Professor Amy Fairchild and Maxwell Associate Dean for Research Shana Gadarian. The talk was moderated by Sebastian Karcher, associate director of QDR.

The full PJP data maintained by QDR is currently available for use and re-use by researchers. Though, to protect privacy, access requires prior approval, with requests submitted from the dataset鈥檚 page on the听. A significant subset of more than 2,000 entries are also publicly available for searching and browsing by anyone on the听.

鈥淲e are honored to be recognized for our work by peers at institutions of higher education dedicated to public service,鈥� says Dean . 鈥淚t is a challenging time for many with a commitment to effective public service, yet our mission remains clear: to prepare the next generation of leaders dedicated to improving their communities, strengthening democracy and leaving the world better than they found it.鈥�

The Best Public Affairs Schools rankings are based solely on surveys of deans, directors and department chairs representing 268 master鈥檚 programs in public affairs and public administration. Each school is numerically ranked by peer school leadership on a 5-point scale, with the average score determining the school鈥檚 overall rank. Additionally, survey respondents can nominate up to 15 schools for excellence in 12 subspecialties, with the number of nominations determining each school鈥檚 position in the ranking.

U.S. News began ranking graduate programs in public affairs in 1995. Since then, the Maxwell School has been ranked No. 1 in every survey but one. In addition, the school remains highly ranked in 10 subspecialties:

• Environmental policy and management
• Health policy and management
• International global policy and administration
• Information and technology management
• Local government management
• Non-profit management
• Public finance and budgeting
• Public management and leadership
• Public policy analysis
• Social policy

鈥淲e are honored for this recognition and thankful to our peers,鈥� says , associate dean, chair and professor of public administration and international affairs. 鈥淚 believe it speaks to the tremendous research and teaching done by our faculty and the outstanding contributions to public affairs made by our many accomplished alums.鈥�

Launched in 1924 as the School of American Citizenship by 黑料不打烊 alumnus George Holmes Maxwell, the school began with a graduate program in public administration, an undergraduate citizenship course and a weekly seminar in political science. Today the school is home to 12 academic departments and 15 interdisciplinary research centers and institutes, where students and scholars grapple with a range of issues, including environmental sustainability; autonomous systems policy; population health and aging; law and security; conflict resolution; democracy and journalism; global affairs; and regional studies.

The move is part of a wider reorganization announced by the Lerner Center and The Monday Campaigns.

The Lerner Center, which was established at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 2011听with a gift听from alumnus Sidney 鈥淪id鈥� Lerner 鈥�53 and his wife, Helaine, now houses Healthy Monday digital materials and programming on a newly designed听. It will also initiate a broad campaign through social media, newsletters and other platforms, and implement signature programs that leverage 黑料不打烊鈥檚 expertise in health promotion. Students will continue to be involved in developing and implementing programming aimed at improving population health.

The restructuring follows听听to the Lerner Center and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Forever Orange Campaign by Helaine Lerner in 2023 and ensures the future of The Monday Campaigns鈥� beloved global health campaigns. While the Lerner Center will now own Healthy Monday, the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future at the Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore will launch a new听. In addition, New York University Langone Health will launch听.

This听marks a new phase of growth for The Monday Campaigns and its programs, founded in 2003 by Lerner, an advertising and marketing innovator who died in 2021 at the age of 90. A legend in the advertising business, he helped create the 鈥淧lease Don鈥檛 Squeeze the Charmin鈥� campaign featuring Mr. Whipple for his client, Procter & Gamble. He applied his gift for developing a simple and compelling message to improving public health after a conversation he had with physicians about the need to cut back on dietary saturated fats. His Meatless Monday campaign became a global health phenomenon, reportedly convincing two-thirds of Americans to reduce meat consumption. In 2006, it morphed into the Healthy Monday movement in partnership with universities, workplaces, schools and communities.

鈥淪id鈥檚 original vision was to create initiatives that anyone could pick up and shape for their own institutions and lives, or as Sid said, 鈥榯ake my campaign please,鈥欌€� said Dana Smith, campaign director for The Monday Campaigns. 鈥淭wenty-two years later, institutional partners and advocates worldwide have embraced Monday as鈥攁lso in Sid鈥檚 words鈥斺€榯he day all health breaks loose.鈥� We鈥檙e excited for the next chapter of this movement, anchored to trusted and leading academic partners.鈥�

Through Healthy Monday, individuals and organizations use turnkey program guides or design their own programs to commit to better health every Monday.听Research shows that healthy thinking and behavior are synchronized with the week, with Monday being the day people are most open to positive changes.

鈥淗ealthy Monday is a dynamic, adaptable campaign that helps people start their week off right,鈥� said Casey Collins, digital specialist for the Lerner Center. 鈥淎s everyone from students to health professionals look for ways to achieve better health and well-being for themselves and the population as a whole, Healthy Monday has tremendous potential. We鈥檙e excited to move this important public health initiative forward.鈥�

Guided by the principles of scientific rigor, equity, justice, community engagement, and multidisciplinary and multi-institution collaboration, the Lerner Center鈥檚 mission is to improve population and community health through research, education, outreach and health promotion programming focused on the social, spatial and structural determinants of physical, mental, and behavioral health and health disparities.

Over the past several years, the Lerner Center has launched numerous health promotion programs and community partnerships, including the Monday Mile walking routes developed in partnership with the City of 黑料不打烊, Onondaga County, local hospitals and the Madison County Rural Health Council. In 2019, the Center launched听鈥攁 six-week workshop series for undergraduate students that offers evidence-based tools to help students manage their stress and thrive while in college.

Josh Fine

The inaugural class of IDJC fellows for the Spring 2025 semester includes investigative reporter and producer Josh Fine and former U.S. Public Delegate to the United Nations Andrew Weinstein.

鈥淲e are thrilled to announce this new program and to have Josh Fine and Andrew Weinstein as our inaugural fellows,鈥� says Margaret Talev, Kramer Director of the IDJC and professor of practice of magazine, news and digital journalism in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. 鈥淭his fellows program is designed to give thought leaders in the fields of journalism and public affairs an opportunity to delve more deeply into subjects that matter to all of us.鈥�

The program provides workspace for fellows at IDJC headquarters in Washington, D.C., as well as access to University scholars and resources, and a stipend for their travel and projects. The fellows will convene events or pursue projects while developing nonpartisan thought leadership in issue areas that align with the IDJC鈥檚 mission to explore the challenges to鈥攁nd connections between鈥攄emocratic governance and journalism.

Fine, whose award-winning sports journalism has examined the International Olympic Committee, FIFA and the NFL, plans to use his time as a fellow to explore better ways to fund investigative sports journalism, with a focus on the challenges that go beyond the scoreboard and directly impact communities, including the public financing of stadiums, the health impact of certain high school programs and the profit behind youth sports.

鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to be one of IDJC鈥檚 inaugural fellows,鈥� says Fine. 鈥淎s the journalism industry changes, it鈥檚 critical that accountability-based sports journalism endures. I鈥檓 grateful to have the support of 黑料不打烊 to explore new ways to sustain this crucial work.鈥�

Andrew Weinstein

Weinstein, who in addition to his role as public delegate, previously served on the board of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and as a member of the President鈥檚 Committee on the Arts and the Humanities during the Obama administration, will work to develop nonpartisan public dialogues and workshops aimed at addressing the rise in antisemitism, religion-based hatred and intolerance, and bridging divides between the American Jewish and Palestinian communities.

鈥淚 look forward to expanding on my work at the United Nations and am proud to do so in affiliation with such a prestigious academic institution. It鈥檚 an honor to help launch the Visiting Fellows program at the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship,鈥� says Weinstein.

The launch of the IDJC Visiting Fellows program is made possible by a gift from Gary Greenberg 鈥�72. For information on how to support or engage with the visiting fellows program, please email democracy@syr.edu.

From Schumer鈥檚 official remarks, 鈥淚 come to the floor today to congratulate 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs on its 100th anniversary. One hundred years. A remarkable milestone. A remarkable legacy. A remarkable school.鈥�

Sen. Charles Schumer, right, presents Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke with a copy of the remarks from the official congressional record commemorating Maxwell’s centennial.

Founded in 1924 by George Holmes Maxwell, the Maxwell School today is the top-ranked school for public affairs, according to U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 rankings, offering graduate and professional programs in public administration and international affairs, and undergraduate and graduate degrees across the social sciences, including signature interdisciplinary undergraduate programs in citizenship and civic engagement; environment, sustainability and policy; and law, society and policy. It is also home to 15 interdisciplinary research centers focused on topical areas within public affairs.

Schumer continued in his remarks, 鈥淭he school鈥檚 more than 38,500 graduates are living and working across the globe, helping to inform public policy鈥攊ncluding key legislation that has come before us here, helping to forge compromise amid divide, bringing aid to those in need and defending democracy.鈥�

Schumer also shared that Maxwell alumni have gone on to become ambassadors, legislators, journalists and economists, with many notable names including former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala G鈥�70, H鈥�87; New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul 鈥�80; 黑料不打烊 Mayor Ben Walsh G鈥�05; and former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing 鈥�66, H鈥�06.

鈥淭hough it is based in 黑料不打烊, it has a strong presence here in the nation鈥檚 capital, offering programs, internship opportunities and world class instruction through a partnership with the Center for Strategic and International Studies,鈥� Schumer continued. 鈥淭he Maxwell School鈥檚 work supports the foundations and institutions of democracy itself, here and across the globe. This is vital at this time in our world鈥檚 history.鈥�

As a guest of Schumer, Van Slyke also toured the Capitol and was able to sit in the gallery as the Senate voted on other matters.

鈥淚t was an honor to meet with the senator, and we are thankful that he recognized the Maxwell School鈥檚 contribution to our great nation over the past 100 years,鈥� Van Slyke said. 鈥淭hat tribute will be in the official Congressional Record for the next 100 years and beyond. We are delighted to have such a strong supporter of the Maxwell School and 黑料不打烊 in Senator Schumer.鈥�

Schumer鈥檚 official floor remarks concluded, 鈥淚 congratulate 黑料不打烊, the Maxwell School, Chancellor Kent Syverud, Maxwell Dean David Van Slyke, and the school鈥檚 faculty, students, staff and alumni for everything they do to leave the world better than they found it.鈥�

The competition will take place on April 3, 2025, and offers a unique platform for students and teams to propose their ideas for combating the spread of inaccurate or misleading health information among college students. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their strategies in front of a distinguished panel of judges, including experts in public health, media and business innovation.

鈥淲e are living in an era where misinformation can have serious, even life-threatening consequences,鈥� says Alexandra Punch, director of the Lerner Center. 鈥淭his competition is not just about raising awareness but driving real, actionable ideas and solutions that can be implemented on a community or even national scale.鈥�

Submissions for the upcoming competition will be judged based on four key criteria: creativity, feasibility, impact potential and scalability. The top team will be awarded cash prizes, mentorship opportunities and access to valuable resources to further refine and implement their project. Finalists will also gain the opportunity to connect with influential stakeholders in the fields of public health and entrepreneurship, opening doors for potential partnerships and ongoing support.

The Lerner Center and Blackstone LaunchPad are hosting information sessions for prospective participants. The next session will be , and will provide detailed guidance on the competition, offering tips on crafting an effective pitch and outlining the submission process.

The Social Impact Pitch Competition, which aims to attract both students and professionals, will focus this year on combating misinformation鈥攁n issue that has gained prominence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as misleading health narratives have proliferated on social media and other platforms. The competition seeks to inspire innovative solutions to the growing public health challenge.

For those interested in more information or to sign up for updates, visit the Lerner Center’s or attend one of the upcoming information sessions.

Then he shared that when he poses that question in his classes, hardly anyone raises their hand. When he calls on students, they inevitably describe the feeling they have when around family or when doing something they like, he said.

Brooks tells them: 鈥溾€楾hat鈥檚 beautiful. That鈥檚 lovely. That鈥檚 wrong!鈥欌€�

New York Times bestselling author and former Maxwell professor Arthur C. Brooks discussed the secrets of happiness at an event held on Oct. 30 in the National Veterans Resource Center.

鈥淎nd it鈥檚 good news that it鈥檚 wrong,鈥� he explained. 鈥淏ecause if you鈥檙e looking for a feeling to get your happiness, you鈥檙e going after a vapor. You鈥檙e consigning your happiness to forces out of your control. You鈥檙e going to go to bed at night saying, boy I sure hope I feel happy tomorrow. And point of fact, that鈥檚 how a lot of people live.鈥�

Brooks鈥� talk, 鈥淗ow to Get Happier in an Unhappy World,鈥� was held in the K.G. Tan Auditorium in the National Veterans Resource Center on Oct. 30. It was hosted by the Maxwell School and sponsored by the D’Aniello Family Foundation, the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy and the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Leadership.

Brooks taught at Maxwell from 2001 to 2009. In addition to serving on the faculty at Harvard, he writes the popular weekly 鈥淗ow to Build a Life鈥� column for The Atlantic and he is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of 13 books, including 鈥淏uild the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier鈥� (Penguin Random House, 2023), co-authored with Oprah Winfrey.

Brooks鈥� focus on the scientific study of happiness began as he ended his time as the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. His Harvard class on the subject typically has a waiting list of several hundred students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the most oversubscribed elective at the business school,鈥� Brooks told the 黑料不打烊 audience, 鈥渨hich is weird, when you think about it. I mean, it鈥檚 a business curriculum and I鈥檓 teaching about happiness.鈥�

But Brooks contends it鈥檚 popular because he is teaching students the business of their lives.

鈥淚 reinforce the idea that their lives are an entrepreneurial endeavor and they鈥檙e the founders,鈥� said Brooks. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the people who are building this incredible enterprise. The fortune they鈥檙e trying to accumulate is in love and happiness, and that鈥檚 what I want to help them get better at.鈥�

So, what are the secrets to happiness?

鈥淲hat we know in this field, based on both behavioral science and neuroscience, is that the happiest people have in both balance and abundance three things,鈥� Brooks said. 鈥淭hey are enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning. Those are the three parts to happiness. You want to be a happier person? Those are things to pursue.鈥�

Brooks spoke in depth about each of the three and how individuals can work to improve the ingredients of happiness in their own lives. He also shared his four pillars for happiness: Faith, family, friendship and work. Faith, he explained, doesn鈥檛 require religion, but can also come from something as simple as taking in a beautiful moment in nature.

Brooks鈥� lecture ended a daylong visit that included lunch with Maxwell and Arts and Sciences leadership scholars, as well as meetings with faculty, staff and University leaders.

鈥淚t was such a pleasure to have Arthur back on campus, to not only speak to this audience, but to interact with our students and see many old friends,鈥� said Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke. 鈥淗is insights into achieving happiness are helping people around the globe, and I am hopeful everyone who heard his remarks and spent time with him learned something about this important subject and about themselves.鈥�

Brooks鈥� work on happiness can be found at .

A former faculty member who is regarded as one of the world鈥檚 leading experts on the science of human happiness will return to 黑料不打烊 later this month to outline a pathway by which individuals, communities and the governance of our nation can improve by learning how to live happier lives and committing to the greater well-being of others.

Arthur C. Brooks, a Harvard University professor and co-author of the New York Times bestseller 鈥楤uild the Life You Want鈥� with Oprah Winfrey, will deliver remarks during an on-campus event on Oct. 30.

Arthur C. Brooks, a professor at Harvard University and best-selling author, will present 鈥淗ow to Get Happier in an Unhappy World鈥� on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the K.G. Tan Auditorium in the National Veterans Resource Center at The Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building.听The event is free and open to the University community and the general public. Advanced .

Brooks is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School and professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He writes the popular weekly 鈥淗ow to Build a Life鈥� column for The Atlantic, and he is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of 13 books, including 鈥淏uild the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier,鈥� co-authored with Oprah Winfrey.

No stranger to 黑料不打烊, Brooks taught courses at Maxwell in policy analysis, microeconomics, public and nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship from 2001 to 2009, and he was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy starting in 2007. His work in the classroom earned him the school鈥檚 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award for outstanding teaching, research, and service and the Birkhead-Burkhead Teaching Excellence Award.

鈥淲e are delighted to host our friend and former colleague Arthur Brooks for what is sure to be an insightful talk about an important subject for each of us,鈥� says Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke. 鈥淭here are so many ways that we measure success in our society, yet one of the most elusive and hardest to obtain is this notion of happiness. I look forward to hearing Arthur鈥檚 thoughts on this, and how to strengthen our lives and the resilience and opportunities of our communities. The effectiveness of our democracy depends on healthy and happy individuals that can work together for the common good. I encourage everyone who can to attend.鈥�

Brooks left Maxwell in 2009 to become the eleventh president of the American Enterprise Institute, a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C. He joined the faculty of Harvard in July of 2019.

Prior to joining academia, Brooks spent 12 years as a professional musician, holding positions with the Barcelona Symphony and other ensembles. He earned a master of arts degree in economics from Florida Atlantic University in 1994 and a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in public policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School of Policy Studies in 1998.

Brooks鈥� talk is sponsored by the D’Aniello Family Foundation, the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy and the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Leadership.

The event was organized by the (CACI) in the Maxwell-based . The event was among several held by the Maxwell School leading up to its 100th anniversary in October 2024.

鈥淲e were delighted to host a truly global group of scholars and experts for the CESS fall conference as we continue to celebrate the Maxwell School鈥檚 centennial,鈥� says , professor of geography and the environment and director of CACI. 鈥淭he conversations at this conference, and the ongoing research of the attendees, are vital to understanding this complex and rapidly changing part of the world.鈥�

A conference participant speaks with Maxwell alumna Bhavna Dav茅 鈥�96 Ph.D.

The theme of the conference, 鈥淐itizenship Unbound: Central Eurasia in a Changing World,鈥� focused discussions on the past and present challenges of citizenship in Central Eurasia. Sessions covered an array of subjects from regional economics and green investment to cultural identity and women鈥檚 rights. Presenters and panelists represented a spectrum of relevant disciplines, with many scholars making the trip to Maxwell from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, among many other locations. Additional cultural events enriched the conference experience for attendees, including an exhibition of cultural artifacts from the region and a movie night featuring an Uzbek contemporary film.

Alumna Bhavna Dav茅 鈥�96 Ph.D., a senior lecturer at the University of London, delivered the conference鈥檚 keynote address, 鈥淓urasia Unbound? Reflections on Empire, Geopolitics and Citizenship.鈥� Koch facilitated a discussion following the remarks.

CESS is a North America-based organization of scholars interested in the study of Central Eurasia, including its history, languages, cultures, people and modern states. As an organization promoting an interdisciplinary approach to studying and understanding the region, Maxwell was well-suited to host the conference.

The gathering was co-sponsored by the Middle Eastern Studies Program, the Departments of Political Science and Geography and the Environment, as well as 黑料不打烊 Libraries and Hendricks Chapel.

David Van Slyke (left) and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

David M. Van Slyke, dean of the , met with alumni, partners and dignitaries, including India’s minister of education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, during a recent visit that celebrated the school’s and its 70-plus-year partnership with the country.

Dean Van Slyke was in India along with Maxwell鈥檚 Director of Accelerated Learning and Global Engagement Dan Nelson to celebrate the centennial and highlight the global impact of the school鈥檚 students, faculty and alumni. The 听began more than听. That history started soon after India鈥檚 independence, grew stronger in the second half of the last century, and has recently focused on Maxwell鈥檚 educational expertise in public administration and international affairs. Over the decades, Maxwell has hosted thousands of Indian students, citizens and civil servants.

The meeting with Minister of Education Pradhan was made possible by the long relationship between Maxwell and India, and it represented the hope for even more collaboration and partnership with the world鈥檚 largest democracy and most populous country.

鈥淢eeting with Minister of Education Pradhan was truly an honor, and it put an exclamation point on what was a wonderfully productive visit where we spent time with our global partners and accomplished alumni,鈥� says Van Slyke. 鈥淚 look forward to our continued partnership with India and its people.鈥�

Van Slyke also met with Surendra Nath Tripathi, the director general of the Indian Institute for Public Administration (IIPA), founded upon the recommendation of and in consultation with former Maxwell dean Paul Appleby.听 Van Slyke spoke with faculty, civil servants and military personnel at IIPA, among other institutions, on how governments manage complex partnerships with industry.

Maxwell’s longstanding position to invest in the development and raise awareness of good governance initiatives around the globe is a hallmark of the school and was facilitated through meetings with Dr. R Balasubramaniam at the Government of India’s Capacity Building Commission.

Dean Van Slyke also served as the keynote speaker at the International Conference on Public Policy and Management hosted by the Centre for Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. The interdisciplinary conference drew scholars representing diverse perspectives on public policy issues and provided a forum for showcasing the latest developments in policy research and practice.

The visit to India culminated with a centennial gathering at the Delhi Gymkhana Club. There, Van Slyke and Nelson joined over 80 Maxwell alumni, partners and dignitaries to celebrate the global impact of Maxwell and the school鈥檚 special relationship with India.

A large group of Maxwell alumni, partners and dignitaries celebrate the school’s centennial with Dean Van Slyke.

Several Maxwell School faculty have been promoted to leadership roles, including Junko Takeda, who has been named chair of the Citizenship and Civic Engagement (CCE) Undergraduate Program after serving in an interim role since July 2023, and Leonard M. Lopoo, who began as chair of the Public Administration and International Affairs Department in July 2024.

Junko Takeda

Takeda, professor of history, was named interim chair in the spring of 2023. Her research and teaching interests include the histories of citizenship, early modern globalization, revolutions, migration, displacement and disease. She has written two monographs, 鈥淏etween Crown and Commerce: Marseille and the Early Modern Mediterranean鈥� (Johns Hopkins, 2011), and 鈥淚ran and a French Empire of Trade, 1700鈥�1808: The Other Persian Letters鈥� (Liverpool University Press, Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment, 2020). Her two books-in-progress explore migration, dispossession, and ethnic and religious violence in the early modern world. Takeda’s additional interests include Asian-American history and Zainichi Korean history.

Takeda is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards. At 黑料不打烊 she has received the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award for Research and Teaching, and she was named the inaugural O鈥橦anley Faculty Scholar and Daicoff Faculty Scholar. She also received the Junior Meredith Teaching Recognition Award as an assistant professor, and the Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award from the Graduate School in 2023.

Leonard Lopoo

Lopoo is professor, chair and associate dean of public administration and international affairs, the Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics, and a senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research. He succeeds Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs.

While chair, Lopoo will continue to serve as director of the Maxwell X Lab, which he co-founded in 2017 with Joe Boskovski G鈥�14.

Lopoo applies behavioral public administration principles to improve the performance of government agencies and nonprofit organizations. His research also focuses on family matters, ranging from fertility and marriage to maternal employment and the social welfare policies designed to assist the low-income population. He has published work in several journals, including Demography, Journal of Health Economics, the Journal of Marriage and the Family, and Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.

His research has been supported by numerous federal agencies and foundations, including the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute on Aging, Pew Charitable Trusts, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Allyn Family Foundation. His honors have included the Birkhead-Burkhead Teaching Excellence Award, the Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award, the Meredith Professors Recognition Award and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize.

Additionally, three faculty members have assumed director roles for the 2024-25 academic year: Christopher Faricy, Sebastian Karcher and Amy Lutz.

Christopher Faricy

Faricy, associate professor of political science and the inaugural Hicker Professor of Renewing Democratic Community, succeeds Grant Reeher as director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. Faricy is the co-director of the American Policy Agendas Project, a multi-institution initiative that uses data to trace changes in the national policy agenda and public policy outcomes of the United States. He is also a research affiliate for the Center for Policy Research and the Center for Policy Design and Governance. He researches American politics, social policy, income inequality, tax policy and public opinion on government spending.

He authored 鈥淲elfare for the Wealthy: Parties, Social Spending, and Inequality in the United States鈥� (Cambridge University Press, 2015) and co-wrote 鈥淭he Other Side of the Coin: Public Opinion toward Social Tax Expenditures鈥� (Russel Sage Foundation, 2021). He has received funding from the Russell Sage Foundation for his research on social, political and economic inequality and he has been cited by numerous media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Forbes and The Washington Post.

Sebastian Karcher

Karcher, a research associate professor in the political science department, recently became director of the Center for Qualitative and Multi-Method Inquiry. He also directs the related Qualitative Data Repository. His work has been published in numerous journals across traditional disciplinary lines, including the Data Science Journal, International Studies Quarterly and Qualitative Health Research. In June 2024, he started a four-year tenure as an associate editor of the American Political Science Review. He has received funding from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Sloan Foundation.

Amy Lutz

Lutz, associate professor of sociology, is director of the Social Science Ph.D. Program. A senior research associate for the Center for Policy Research, she studies children of immigrants and inequalities related to race, ethnicity and education. Her work has been published in journals such as City & Community, and Sociology of Education and has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation and CUSE grants. Additionally, she is co-author of “Parenting in Privilege or Peril: How Social Inequality Enables or Derails the American Dream” (Teachers College Press, 2021).

鈥淚 am grateful to these highly accomplished scholars, instructors and outstanding citizens of the school for taking on the leadership mantle and providing our community with strong experience and a deep appreciation for our mission and goals,鈥� says Dean David M. Van Slyke.

A long, distinguished career has taken Army Colonel Pia W. Rogers L鈥�01, G’01 to assignments around the globe and led to her current position at the Pentagon.

Pia W. Rogers

On Friday, June 28, she we will return to where her professional journey began, 黑料不打烊, to give the keynote address at the 2024 master of public administration convocation ceremony, as the school celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Rogers plans to talk about her path in the 22 years since earning a Maxwell M.P.A., as well as her commitment to public service and her advice for graduates. 鈥淭oday my energy is derived from those around me鈥攕ubordinates, peers and superiors鈥攁nd how we, collectively, improve our foxhole,鈥� she says.

After being commissioned at 黑料不打烊 through the Reserve Officers鈥� Training Corps (ROTC) program and earning her undergraduate degree in journalism from the Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1998, Rogers went on to complete the J.D./M.P.A. dual-degree program in 2001.

She joined the Army鈥檚 Judge Advocate General鈥檚 Corps in 2002 and has been an active-duty soldier for 22 years. During that time, she has been stationed at numerous locations across the globe, including Taegu, South Korea; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Bolslawiac, Poland. In the U.S., she has worked in Maryland, Virginia, Kansas, North Carolina, Colorado and now, at the Pentagon, where she serves as the chief of legislation, investigations and nominations for the Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison, U.S. Army.

Maxwell鈥檚 M.P.A. program was the first program of its kind in the nation and was one of the original educational offerings of the Maxwell School when it opened in Slocum Hall on Oct. 3, 1924, thanks to the vision and support of George Holmes Maxwell. The yearlong program runs from July to June and has consistently been ranked No. 1 by peers surveyed for U.S. News & World Report. It blends theory and practice to prepare service-oriented leaders for careers in a wide-range of fields in the public and private sectors.

The convocation ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in Hendricks Chapel with welcoming remarks by Patrick Edwards G鈥�24 M.P.A. and a graduating student address by Omer Keles G鈥�24.

At the conclusion of the keynote and student addresses, the Brady K. Howell Maxwell Alumni Award will be presented to Judith Douglas 鈥�77, G鈥�81. Douglas is the industry chair of the Collaboration Council for the American Council for Technology, Industry Advisory Council Executive Committee.

Douglas鈥� public service leadership spans federal, state and local levels of government, as well as nonprofit organizations, academia and private industry. She is being honored for her innovative and collaborative contributions across industries and her ongoing involvement as an alumna.

黑料不打烊 alumni and staff with representatives from the New York State Legislature. (Photo courtesy of New York State Senate)

The New York State Legislature honored the history and legacy of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs with the passage of a resolution celebrating the school鈥檚 100th anniversary. The resolution was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Rachel May and in the Assembly by Assemblymembers William Magnarelli ’70, L’73, Pamela Hunter and Albert Stirpe.

Senate Resolution No. 1717/Assembly Resolution No. 2004 reads: 鈥淭he 黑料不打烊’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is proudly aware of its distinguished past, eager to fulfill its present commitment to parents, students and the community, and planning with vision and purpose for the ebb and swell of growth and change it will encounter in the years to come; now, therefore, be it resolved, that this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of 黑料不打烊’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.鈥�

David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School, traveled to Albany with several school representatives to receive the resolution and to be recognized from the floor of the New York State Senate and Assembly.

At the presentation of the resolution were, from left, Maxwell Assistant Dean for Advancement Elizabeth Armstrong, Asm. William Magnarelli, Dean David M. Van Slyke, Asm. Pamela Hunter, Director of Accelerated Learning and Global Engagement Dan Nelson, and Asm. Albert Stirpe.

鈥淚t was a true privilege to be recognized in the New York State Senate and Assembly chambers for the work the Maxwell School has accomplished over the last century,鈥� Van Slyke says. 鈥淭he New York State Legislature, and New York State government in general, are one of the many places where our students go in great numbers after graduation to start long and impactful careers in public service. To visit with so many alumni in chambers and in the capital was a pleasure.鈥�

Founded in 1924 by George Holmes Maxwell, whose vision it was to establish a “School of American Citizenship,” the Maxwell School today is the top-ranked school for public affairs, according U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 rankings, offering graduate and professional programs in public administration and international affairs, and undergraduate and graduate degrees across the social sciences, including signature interdisciplinary undergraduate programs in policy, civic engagement, environmental sustainability and international relations. It is also home to 15 interdisciplinary research centers focused on topical areas within public affairs.

Assistant Dean for Advancement Elizabeth Armstrong and Director of Accelerated Learning and Global Engagement Dan Nelson joined Van Slyke in receiving the recognition before the Senate and Assembly. The delegation also met with Maxwell alumni in the capitol and at a reception follow the legislative honors.

Maxwell School alumni currently in the Legislature include Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky 鈥�60, Assemblymembers Magnarelli, Nily Rozic ’22 and John Lemondes G鈥�97, G’01. Hundreds more alumni work in the state Legislature and across all levels of state government, as well as in the capital region.

Thomas M. Keck, professor of political science and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, has been named a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow. Keck was included among a diverse class recognized by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation as 鈥渃ulture-creators.鈥�

Thomas M. Keck

鈥淭his is a highly prestigious recognition and an honor earned from Professor Thomas Keck鈥檚 research and long engagement on critical issues of democracy and governance. I congratulate him for this accomplishment,鈥� says David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. 鈥淚 thank him for being a valuable contributor to the Maxwell School and its students and for the public impact that his evidence-based research will have on dialogue, decision-making and policy in the United States and beyond. His expertise and insight on the U.S. Supreme Court and the First Amendment help strengthen our society鈥檚 democratic institutions.鈥�

The Guggenheim Fellowship will support Keck鈥檚 research on judicial decisions related to free speech in the contemporary United States, in European democracies facing similar threats, and in the U.S. during prior periods of democratic crisis. Ultimately, it will fund a book project titled 鈥淓xtremist Speech and Democratic Backsliding.鈥�

鈥淚 am so grateful for this fellowship, as it will enable me to devote a full year of research and writing to this book project focused on speech restrictions during instances of democratic backsliding,鈥� says Keck. 鈥淔ree speech restrictions are a recurring feature of democratic backsliding. I plan to examine whether and to what degree courts across time and space have checked anti-democratic and, arguably, pro-democratic speech restrictions amid democratic crises.鈥�

Keck is among the country鈥檚 foremost experts on the modern Supreme Court and has been cited extensively by the media for recent rulings such as Dobbs v. Jackson. Keck鈥檚 research has also appeared in leading journals; his 2007 article on Supreme Court decision-making, published in the American Political Science Review, received the American Political Science Association鈥檚 (Law and Courts Section) Houghton-Mifflin Award in 2008 for the best journal article in the field of law and courts by a political scientist.

In addition to Keck鈥檚 analysis of the Supreme Court, his current scholarly work focuses on the tension and balance between freedom of expression and academic freedom.

Keck earned a Ph.D. at Rutgers University in 1999 and taught at the University of Oklahoma for several years before joining the Maxwell School in 2002. In 2004, Keck鈥檚 first book, 鈥淭he Most Activist Supreme Court in History: The Road to Modern Judicial Conservatism,鈥� was published by the University of Chicago Press. It is considered one of the most important works on the expansion of conservative judicial activism. His second book, 鈥淛udicial Politics in Polarized Times,鈥� was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2014.

This year鈥檚 Guggenheim Fellows were chosen from almost 3,000 applications based on 鈥減rior career achievement and exceptional promise,鈥� and following a peer review process. Since the fellowship was established in 1925 by Sen. Simon Guggenheim, the foundation has honored 19,000 fellows that include artists, scholars, photographers, novelists, essayists, poets, historians, choreographers, environmentalists and data scientists. The recognition includes a stipend that allows awardees to pursue their work under 鈥渢he freest possible conditions.鈥�

The full list of 2024 fellows can be found at .

The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs once again ranked No. 1 overall in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Public Affairs Schools rankings.

黑料不打烊鈥檚 ranked No. 1 overall in the latest . Maxwell has received this top honor in 13 of the 14 years in which the peer surveys have been conducted.听In addition, the school remains highly ranked in ten subspecialties.

David M. Van Slyke

鈥淎s the Maxwell School celebrates its 100-year anniversary, we remain as focused as ever on preparing students to be public servants, leaders and scholars who will have a positive impact on their communities and the world around them,鈥� says , dean of the Maxwell School. 鈥淲e are honored that our peers again recognized this work. We are also thankful to be counted among so many schools, colleges and universities preparing students to make a positive impact on democratic institutions and governance. And we share this honor with our students, faculty, staff and the vast network of Maxwell alumni who seek evidence-based solutions, encourage civil discourse, and ever strive to leave the world better than they found it.鈥�

The Best Public Affairs Schools rankings are based solely on surveys of deans, directors and department chairs representing 271 master鈥檚 programs in public affairs and administration. Each school is numerically ranked by peer school leadership on a 5-point scale, with the average score determining the school鈥檚 overall rank. Additionally, survey respondents can nominate up to 15 schools for excellence in 12 subspecialties, with the number of nominations determining each school鈥檚 position in the ranking.

U.S. News began ranking graduate programs in public affairs in 1995. Since then, the Maxwell School has been ranked No. 1 in every survey but one.

This year, the Maxwell School is highly ranked across ten subspecialty categories, including:

• Environmental Policy and Management
• Health Policy and Management
• International Global Policy and Administration
• Information and Technology Management
• Local Government Management
• Non-Profit Management
• Public Finance and Budgeting
• Public Management and Leadership
• Public Policy Analysis
• Social Policy

鈥淲e are thankful for this recognition from our peers and for the students who, throughout the years, put their trust in us,鈥� says , associate dean, chair and professor of public administration and international affairs. 鈥淚 think our greatest attribute is our ability to foster creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and leadership for the common good. Students come here to learn tools for change, and leave as leaders ready to tackle complex problems, with the courage to challenge the status quo and the preparation to succeed in leading at all levels of government and in the private and non-profit sectors across the United States and around the world.鈥�

The Maxwell School was founded in 1924, thanks to the support of George Holmes Maxwell and his vision to establish a “School of American Citizenship.” As the world has changed and faced new challenges, the Maxwell School, too, has evolved to meet those challenges in its storied history. The Maxwell School is home to 听that work to shed light on a range of issues, including environmental sustainability; autonomous systems policy; population health and aging; law and security; conflict resolution; democracy and journalism; global affairs; regional studies; and more. The school continues to evolve to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Just this year, the Maxwell School launched the new , a joint degree program in coordination with the . It is co-directed by Maxwell鈥檚 Jay S. Golden, Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance and founding director of the , and leverages the strengths of both schools to prepare students to be versatile, multidisciplinary, forward-looking leaders ready to take on the important challenges across the globe related to sustainability.

鈥淥ur strength, over the last 100 years and today, lies in Maxwell鈥檚 continuing ability to evolve as we leverage an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to address the greatest challenges faced by humanity,鈥� says Van Slyke. 鈥淭oday that list of issues and challenges includes environmental sustainability, artificial intelligence, international security, conflict resolution, poverty and health equity, to name a few. Within the walls of Maxwell and across the globe, our students, faculty, staff and alumni do that work on a daily basis. That is the greatest reward we can receive.鈥�

The input will help researchers better understand student experiences at the University and improve the resources available. Participation is entirely voluntary and anonymous.听

Time commitment

The should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

What鈥檚 in it for you?

By participating, students will also have the chance to win one of 50 $75 Amazon gift cards. The email address provided will be kept separate from survey responses, ensuring there is no way to link survey responses with the identity of respondents.

The survey is open听until Friday, March 15.

Any questions should be directed to the principal investigator of the survey, Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor, public administration and international affairs department, Maxwell School, at听miueda@syr.edu.