Policy Studies Undergraduate Program News

The scholarships, now in their 35th year, were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the students studying in London and Florence through Syracuse University who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. 

In addition to receiving a stipend to support their studies, the six students have been invited to attend an anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C.

Alumni and friends are invited to the celebration planned for May 31 at the Smithsonian’s iconic National Portrait Gallery. 

"The vast majority of members of Congress...come from safe districts that are decidedly red or decidedly blue. And so the primary election is the only consequential election that those members run in and if those elections are determined by nothing but their partisan base, it's a pretty clear through line to how that really distorts our politics," says Richard Barton, assistant teaching professor of public administration and international affairs.

The interdisciplinary integrated learning major offered at the Maxwell School capitalizes on faculty expertise and widens student career pathways.

"Examining the Smart City Generational Model: Conceptualizations, Implementations, and Infrastructure Canada's Smart City Challenge," co-authored by Austin Zwick, assistant teaching professor of policy studies, was published in Urban Affairs Review.

Two Maxwell students are among the five selected as Lender Center for Social Justice student fellows and will work on a research project that examines American news media coverage and United States policymaking related to the war on terror.

"The state’s new election system, combining nonpartisan primaries and instant-runoff general election voting, makes elections more competitive and encourages cooperative governance," writes Richard Barton, assistant teaching professor of public administration and international affairs.

Bill Coplin, professor of policy studies, has written “The Path to Equity: Inclusion in the Kingdom of Liberal Arts” (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023). In the book, Coplin argues that the approach to liberal arts education that prioritizes academic scholarship and learning for its own sake does not fully equip students with the practical, career-oriented skills for which many people enter college. 

Bill Coplin, professor of policy studies, says he has been saving students from the damage done by the “bait-and-switch business model of the liberal arts programs” for fifty years. 

"Given how partisan and ideologically extreme most politicians still are, are nonpartisan primaries really enough to save American democracy? While we’re already seeing improvements in the states that have them, the tide won’t fully change until a critical mass of politicians are freed from partisan primaries at the state and national level," writes Richard Barton, assistant teaching professor of policy studies and public administration and international affairs.

The awards support undergraduate research projects.

Amid the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, Maxwell scholars are gathering critical data, designing policy and informing future leaders.

"Primary elections are where most of those who govern us are chosen. Can making them nonpartisan—or eliminating them altogether—diminish the impact of ideological fringes? What has happened in Louisiana suggests that it can," writes Richard Barton, assistant teaching professor of public administration and international affairs and policy studies.

“The Remembrance Scholars represent the future while honoring the past, which is both a great privilege and a great responsibility,” says Vice Chancellor and Provost Gretchen Ritter. “This year’s students, who have demonstrated strong leadership skills and a commitment to service, are up to the task. As with those who were tragically lost nearly 35 years ago, we are proud that these students are members of our University community.”

Isabella Brown and Madelin DeJesus Martinez, both policy studies majors, will attend the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) junior summer institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Alexandria Johnson, an international relations major, will participate in the summer enrichment program through the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program. Erykah Pasha, a political science and sociology major, will participate in the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) at the University of Michigan.

Chelsea Brown (citizenship and civic engagement), Dara Drake (policy studies), Maggie Sardino (citizenship and civic engagement) and Alesandra "Sasha" Temerte (economics) were among those named 2023 Syracuse University Scholars, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows.

After graduating in 2018, Aubourg launched a digital community that unearths underrepresented narratives within food, travel and culture.

Eleven Maxwell School students have been awarded grants from the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) and the Renée Crown University Honors Program. The awards provide up to $7,500 in support for original undergraduate research projects.

Zuleika Rivera ’15 B.A. (PSc/PSt) is the LGBTI program officer for the D.C.-based International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights. "It was through her [Gladys McCormick] that I discovered there are careers in the human rights field,” says Rivera.