Andrew Wender Cohen, professor and director of graduate studies in the History Department, has written Gangster of New York: A Violent Life in Nineteenth Century America (Cambridge University Press, 2026). The book traces the extraordinary life of Louis Bieral, a 19th-century gangster, politician, sportsman and Civil War hero whose turbulent journey illuminates the violence woven into the fabric of American life.

Amelia Rudolph, a geography and citizenship and civic engagement dual major, presented undergraduate research at the largest gathering of geographers in North America.

The gift honors Nancy Mattison’s international career in healthcare policy and will prioritize Maxwell students studying international relations.

Maxwell political scientist Emily Thorson has been named the inaugural Fortunato Priore Endowed Faculty Fellow in Civic Engagement, an appointment made possible by an alumnus’ estate gift.

Andrew Lunetta found his focus at the Maxwell School—now he’s a ‘CNN Hero’ building homes for people who need them most.

When Louise Gartner Birkhead arrived at the Maxwell School in 1951 to begin a master of public administration degree, she was one of only two women in her class. The education and training she received shaped a career devoted to public service and a lifelong drive to open doors in government for the women who would follow her. Birkhead died July 13 at the age of 97.

Jiahuan Lu, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, has co-edited a new research handbook, Nonprofit Organization Management in China: Research and Practice (Routledge, 2026). The volume examines nonprofit management in China through a comparative, organizational lens rather than the state-society framework common in earlier scholarship. 

Four faculty members have received tenure in their promotion to associate professor, while one has been promoted to full professor and another to associate teaching professor.

Bob Bifulco has joined the dean’s office leadership team and faculty have stepped into new roles guiding the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs and the Law, Society and Policy program.

Susan Coots brings expertise in family planning and reproductive health to her new faculty role, teaching and mentoring public health students. 

The program brings senior international professionals to Syracuse for intensive executive education on disrupting the global drug supply chain.

The Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research draws graduate students and scholars from around the globe to Maxwell. 

The sociology chair will be honored by the national association for his guidance of students and junior scholars in aging research.

Aaron Lener ’27, an international relations major, has followed an insight, that language is about power, from Homer, New York, to the halls of the Council of Europe.

The Association for the Study of Food and Society Book Award recognizes outstanding books about food published within the two previous calendar years, with prizes given in three categories: monograph, edited volume and first book.

The annual Matthew Ross Wanetik Memorial Scholarship recognizes Maxwell undergraduate Angelie “Angie” Serrano Baéz for academic excellence and a deep commitment to service.

Howie ’70, G’71, H’22 and Louise Phanstiel's gift, boosted by a $500,000 Syracuse Promise match, endows scholarship honoring Dean David M. Van Slyke and supporting future leaders.

Devashish Mitra, professor of economics and Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs, has co-edited a new reference work, Elgar Encyclopedia of International Trade (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2026), with Priyaranjan Jha, professor of economics at the University of California, Irvine. The volume is part of the Elgar Encyclopedias in Economics and Finance series.

The Maxwell sociologist recently began his term leading the international organization focused on the study of food, agriculture and health. 

Minju Kim, assistant professor of political science, has written Taming the Careerists: The Politics of Foreign Policy Implementation (Cambridge University Press, 2026). The book asks how the design of employment contracts, specifically, the features that strengthen or weaken job protections, shapes bureaucratic behavior and, in turn, American foreign policy.