Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

10/19/2026

Big congratulations to Maxwell’s John Cawley, who has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine!

Cawley, the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Policy and a professor of economics and of public administration and international affairs, is a leading health economist whose research on the economics of obesity has shaped public policy conversations, from menu calorie labels to sugar-sweetened beverage taxes. Membership in NAM is one of the highest honors in health, medicine and medical science.

“We are enormously proud of him and grateful for the contributions he makes to our community every day,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke.

Learn more in the comments ⬇️

10/19/2026

Secessionist movements regularly have “economic motivations,” but typically those are married to a linguistic or nationalist component, says Ryan Griffiths, professor of political science. “There's no magic line” dictating what defines a nation, he says, but notes Alberta's case for nationhood appears harder to make than that of other groups, like Catalans, Scots and French-speaking Canadians in Quebec.

Alberta voters decide next week if they want the oil-rich province to begin the process of separating from Canada, a pivotal test for the country as it confronts a hostile United States.If a majority ...

10/16/2026

Vice Adm. Robert Murrett (Ret.), professor of practice of public administration and international affairs, doubts the U.S. intelligence community would pull its support from Ukraine. “The current leadership of the United States intelligence community and our allies is very anti-Russian,” he says. “That’s not to say the White House couldn’t overrule them,” he says. “But the principal leadership of the U.S. intelligence community does not have a warm place in their hearts for Putin and his leadership in the Kremlin.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met with Britain’s prime minister, has said Ukraine received no warning of Russian attacks, but President Trump has said Washington is still “sharing intel.”

10/14/2026

Share what the United States means to you, beat the clock and earn some swag. Register for USA@250 Conference, Agents of Change: Leadership, Scholarship, and the American Experience at 250. 🇺🇸

Join us Friday, Oct. 16, in Room 220 of Eggers Hall for the USA@250 Conference. Learn about leadership, democratic development and cultural change as the nation marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.

📍 Eggers Hall, Room 220

🗓️ Friday, Oct. 16

⏰ 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

👇 Register in the comments

10/14/2026

“There is a delay effect—the researchers in this study mostly made their decisions years ago to study or work here,” says Yingyi Ma, professor of sociology. “The danger for the U.S. is a slow erosion of its appeal to attract talent that compounds over decades. By the time the effect shows up in the data, it is hard to reverse.”

China’s booming artificial intelligence sector has given local researchers good reason to remain in the country, but it has yet to lure overseas scientists despite a government push.

10/13/2026

“It’s really important that we get our definition right with any attempts at regulating this very fast-moving technology,” said Baobao Zhang, Maxwell Dean Associate Professor of the Politics of AI. Super intelligence would be a misleading descriptor for general-purpose AI, as well as AI systems that are more narrow in scope, such as self-driving cars or AI that diagnoses medical problems, she says.

President Donald Trump wants to rebrand AI as super intelligence. That term has already been used in the industry to describe technology that has not been developed yet.

10/13/2026

The condition of the Lincoln's hull and paint missing from the waterline is “consistent” with more than nine months at sea and is “cosmetic,” rather than impacting how the carrier operates, says Vice Adm. Robert Murrett (Ret.), professor of practice of public administration and international affairs.

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has docked back home in California, looking cleaner and fresher than when it made port in Thailand.

10/12/2026

👏 Congratulations to Maxwell’s undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni, whose public health research is headed to a national stage!

Five projects have been accepted for presentation at the American Public Health Association’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Expo. The research covers topics including postpartum depression, pesticide exposure and children’s health, and media coverage of climate change.

We’re proud to celebrate the work of Fikayomi Okunzua, Hannah Fuchsberg, Aneesa Haque, Eulena Banzer, Jane Apiyo Abok, Jannat Ara Disha, Michael Lovier ’26 MPH and Collins Annor ’25 MPH. 🧡

Read more in the comments below ⬇️

10/11/2026

Thinking about grad school? 🎓 Learn about Maxwell's graduate degree programs at these upcoming virtual admission events ⬇️

🍊 Tuesday, Oct. 13, at noon EDT: master of public administration (M.P.A.)

🍊 Monday, Oct. 19, at noon EDT: M.A. in international relations curriculum overview

🍊 Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m. EDT: Atlantis Dual Degree Master's Program, with the Hertie School in Berlin

🍊 Wednesday, Oct. 21, at noon EDT: Demystifying the Graduate Admission Process

🍊 Monday, Oct. 26, at noon EDT: M.A. in anthropology

🍊 Tuesday, Oct. 27, at noon EDT: M.A. in economics

🍊 Wednesday, Oct. 28, at noon EDT: M.A. in history

🍊 Thursday, Oct. 29, at noon EDT: M.A. in political science

🔗 Register through the link in the comments.

10/09/2026

Maxwell’s USA@250 celebration continues!

Join us Friday, Oct. 16, for “Agents of Change: Leadership, Scholarship, and the American Experience at 250,” a free, full-day conference exploring the people, ideas and institutions that have shaped the United States and will influence its future.

The day features:

A keynote by David C. Wilson, dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley
Three research conversations with Maxwell faculty scholars and pollster John Zogby ’74 M.A. (Hist)
A student poster session and closing reflections
The event falls on Family Weekend, so students and parents are encouraged to attend. On-site registration and coffee begin at 8:30 a.m.

Register and see the full schedule: https://bit.ly/4ybxkag

And as part of USA@250, we want to hear from you: What does the U.S.A. mean to you? Students, alumni, faculty, staff and parents can share their view here: Qualtrics Survey https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3qG5ZTftpoxo5XU