Maxwell School News and Commentary
Bendix Quoted in Associated Press Article on the Corral Fire in California
Though this fire is nearly contained, in general, fire burns hotter when the weather is hotter, says Jacob Bendix, professor emeritus of geography and the environment. He adds that drought contributes to dangerous fire seasons, but paradoxically, wetter years can too.
See related: United States, Wildfires
Fairchild Receives Mellon Foundation Grant for Project Focused on Pandemic Backlash, Public Health
The educational and research resource will create “new, urgently needed, accessible opportunities for the humanities to speak to public health and broaden access to humanities higher learning opportunities,” says Professor Amy Fairchild, who is principal investigator (PI).
See related: COVID-19, Grant Awards, State & Local
In Memoriam: Doris ‘Dottie’ Payson, Advisory Board Member, Philanthropist
Doris “Dottie” Payson ’57 passed away on Feb. 12, 2024, at the age of 87. She served on the Maxwell Advisory Board from 1998 to 2013 and was a life member of the University’s Board of Trustees, which she joined in 2000.
See related: In Memoriam
In Memoriam: Ralph Hockley, Defender of Democracy
Ralph Hockley ’49 B.A. (RusSt) passed away on Nov. 8, 2023. He was 98. He fought valiantly to defend the U.S. and other allied countries against Nazis and threats to democracy through two wars and beyond.
See related: In Memoriam
In Memoriam: Roland Droitsch, Devoted Public Servant, Champion of Education
Roland Droitsch ’65 M.A. (PSc), who served as the deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Labor, passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Jan. 26, 2024. He was 82.
See related: In Memoriam
PhD Candidate in Anthropology Receives Newcombe Fellowship for Doctoral Research in India
Nimisha Thakur is one of 22 scholars in the United States to receive the award, which is considered the largest and most prestigious award for Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and social sciences addressing questions of ethical and religious values.
See related: Awards & Honors, Student Experience
Taylor Discusses the Impact of Ukraine Using Western Weapons Against Russia With Fox News, La Presse
Brian Taylor, professor of political science, says that the authorization given by the U.S. and Germany to Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil with weapons they supply could have an impact on the balance of power on Ukrainian territory.
See related: Conflict, Europe, Government, International Agreements, NATO, Russia, U.S. Foreign Policy, U.S. National Security, United States
Ying Shi Named William T. Grant Scholar for Research on School Victimization
The Maxwell School assistant professor will conduct two studies on school victimization and hate crimes toward Asian American and Pacific Islander students.
See related: Asian-American, Grant Awards, U.S. Education
Misunderstanding the Harms of Online Misinformation
“Misunderstanding the Harms of Online Misinformation,” co-authored by Assistant Professor of Political Science Emily Thorson, was published in Nature.
See related: Europe, Media & Journalism, U.S. Elections, United States
Eighty Years After it Happened, Allport Discusses D-Day with CBS News, Forbes, The Hill and SU News
The world is now reaching the point “where it’s kind of the twilight of lived experience, where from this point onwards, D-Day is going to be just a historical event that nobody who participates in commemorations had any personal memory of,” says Alan Allport, Dr. Walter Montgomery and Marian Gruber Professor of History.