Public Administration and International Affairs Department News, Media Commentary and Research
Grant Supports Donor Study by Maxwell Colleagues Minjung Kim and Jiahuan Lu
The $27,000 Wilson C. “Bill” Levis Fundraising Research Grant will support survey-based research into what motivates donors to give nonprofits maximum flexibility.
See related: Grant Awards, Non-governmental Organizations
Natural Disasters, Property Reappraisal, and Fiscal Outcomes
Co-authored by Yilin Hou, professor of public administration and international affairs, the study was published in the Journal of Housing Economics.
See related: Housing, Natural Disasters, State & Local Government, United States
Unfinished Business: 77-Year-Old Earns the MPA He Started Five Decades Ago
A dinner conversation, a new laptop and a one-week course in Washington closed a 50-year chapter for Hadwen Fuller.
See related: Student Experience
Murrett Talks to CBS News about the Latest Negotiations to End U.S. War with Iran
O'Keefe One of Two Syracuse University Alumni to Join the Board of Trustees
University Professor Emeritus Sean O'Keefe ’78 M.P.A., along with David S. Klein ’93, have earned accolades in their fields, including highest honors for their accomplishments, and both credit their studies at the University for providing the foundation and the tools for their success.
See related: Promotions & Appointments
Barton Research on Bipartisan Primaries Featured in New York Times Article
Richard Barton, assistant teaching professor of public administration and international affairs, analyzed 14 metrics and found that states with nonpartisan primaries had seen “statistically significant improvements” in nine of them—even when accounting for other factors.
See related: Political Parties, State & Local Government, U.S. Elections, United States
‘Service Is Not Just a Career Path—It’s a Lifelong Journey’: Alumni Honored at Awards of Excellence
The fifth annual event in Washington, D.C., celebrated five Maxwell graduates whose careers reflect the school’s commitment to the public good.
See related: Alumni Experience, Awards & Honors, Washington, D.C.
Murrett Discusses Strait of Hormuz, Project Freedom Pause With CBS News, Newsweek, RadioFreeEurope
“Iran does have significant leverage due to geography and capability. At the same time, it is very much in Iran’s interest to keep the strait open, given how much of its economy depends on exports moving through it. Our military posture is important in creating leverage for a diplomatic solution that would allow free and open navigation,” says Vice Adm. Robert Murrett (Ret.), professor of practice of public administration and international affairs.
Heflin Speaks With The Wall Street Journal About the Drop in SNAP Recipients
“These large state drops in SNAP caseloads represent a fundamental restructuring of the food-assistance safety net,” says Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs. “We should expect to see a surge in food insecurity and its related negative consequences at new levels.”
See related: Federal Government, Food Security, United States
Maxwell Celebrates Public Service Recognition Week With a Community Built to Serve
Offering an opportunity to honor those among us who dedicate themselves to uplifting others through careers in government and community service, the celebration is led by the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to build more effective government and strengthening American democracy.
Ueda-Ballmer Talks to Scientific American About 988 Crisis Hotline Use, Decreased Suicide Mortality
“I see 988 as a promising and important part of the mental health support system, with real potential to expand its impact over time,” says Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor of public administration and international affairs.
See related: Mental Health, State & Local Government, United States
Maxwell Makes a Strong Showing at ISA Annual Convention
Faculty and graduate students presented research, led panels and shaped the conversation at one of international studies’ premier gatherings.
See related: Alumni Experience, Student Experience
Tina Nabatchi Receives National Award for Co-Edited Book on Public Administration
ASPA recognizes Pathways to Positive Public Administration for its lasting contribution to the field.
See related: Awards & Honors, Government, Political Parties
Public Health Insurance Expansions and the Uniformity of Insurance for Families
Co-authored by Sarah Hamersma, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, the article was published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.
See related: Health Insurance, Parenting & Family, United States
O’Keefe Discusses the Artemis II Mission With NewsNation and WSYR
“It was a spectacular achievement, and one that really is another step in the long continuum of human exploration of not only here on Earth, but now well into space and moving further out,” says University Professor Emeritus Sean O'Keefe.
See related: Space Exploration, United States
Murrett Speaks With CBS News, The Hill About the Strait of Hormuz Naval Blockade
“I think the next couple of days would be crucial to see what the [Iranian] response is,” says Vice Adm. Robert Murrett (Ret.), professor of practice of public administration and international affairs. “It’s going to be a pretty dicey operation, I think it can be carried out, but the next couple of days are critical in terms of how it’s carried forward,” he says.
Maxwell School Proudly Ranks #1 for Public Affairs in 2026
The school also remains highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 10 subspecialties, including the top ranking in Public Management and Leadership.
See related: Awards & Honors
Maxwell Fireside Chat Examines AI’s Role in Government and Higher Education
New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy and Syracuse University Chief Digital Officer Jeff Rubin joined Dean David M. Van Slyke to discuss AI adoption, workforce impact and the future of digital transformation.
Wanting Children: Family-Planning Policies and the Engineering of America’s Population
Leonard M. Lopoo, professor and chair of public administration and international affairs, has written Wanting Children: Family-Planning Policies and the Engineering of America’s Population (University of Chicago Press, 2026). The book traces how America’s first reproductive policies were shaped by eugenicists focused on limiting births among lower-income and minority populations.
See related: Government, Parenting & Family, United States
O’Keefe Speaks With BBC News About the Moon Race As the Artemis Mission Is Set To Launch
University Professor Emeritus Sean O'Keefe says the nations that land on the Moon will have the advantage of exploring and developing the resources that are there. “After all these years of thinking it was nothing more than a dust bowl, we have come to realise it has a significant amount of helium 3,” he says.
See related: Federal Government, International Affairs, Space Exploration, United States