Maxwell School News and Commentary
Buzard Discusses Her Research on Parental Involvement With The Atlantic
Research by Kristy Buzard, associate professor of economics, confirms the idea that people tend to assume mothers are the default parent, even when they explicitly ask not to be. Part of the reason, Buzard posits, is “this underlying belief that moms are more available and are going to be more responsive.”
See related: Child & Elder Care, Gender and Sex, United States
Taylor Speaks With CBS News, El País, KTVU and Kyiv Post About Trump, Ukraine and Russia
“Putin isn’t interested in a ceasefire or an agreement, but rather in victory, understood as the subjugation of Ukraine,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science. “The Russian president has faced zero consequences for stalling Trump over the past four months, and from what Trump has said about the conversation, that hasn’t changed one bit.”
See related: Conflict, Europe, Federal, Foreign Policy, Global Governance, International Affairs, Russia, Ukraine, United States
Sultana Article on Building Democracy in Bangladesh Published in LA Progressive
“In a region where democratic backsliding has often been normalized, Bangladesh is attempting a rare and ambitious path forward. But reforms – no matter how visionary – face real resistance from entrenched interests and are fraught with obstacles, both internal and external, that threaten to derail Bangladesh’s progress,” writes Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment.
See related: Conflict, Government, International Affairs, South Asia
Bhan Talks to Morning Wave in Bhusan and the WOZ About Rising Tensions Between India and Pakistan
“I don't think either the Indian or Pakistani governments actually want a war,” says Mona Bhan, Ford-Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies. “But neither of them wants to appear weak under any circumstances.”
See related: Conflict, Government, India, International Affairs, South Asia
Reeher Discusses Trumps ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ on LiveNOW from FOX
“There's going to be an enormous amount of pressure on the Republicans to stay together on this. More than anything else that any Republican who's serving in Congress right now will face, because this is going to be Donald Trump's signature domestic bill,” says Grant Reeher, professor of political science.
See related: Congress, Economic Policy, Environment, Food Security, Political Parties, United States
Timur Hammond’s ‘Placing Islam’ Receives Journal’s Honorable Mention
The 2025 International Journal of Islamic Architecture lauded the book for its “evocative storytelling.”
See related: Awards & Honors, Middle East & North Africa, Religion
Khalil Speaks With Clarín About Trump’s Meeting With the President of Syria
The meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa “represents a remarkable shift in U.S. policy toward al-Qaeda and its affiliates. More than 23 years after the 9/11 attacks and the declaration of the Global War on Terror, the United States is developing relations with a former leader of the organization who now declares himself a moderate,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history.
Thompson Quoted in USA Today Articles on Pope Leo XIV’s Social Media Accounts, His First Mass
“Social media can be a minefield for divisive commentary, so I imagine he’ll use it sparingly, perhaps for simple, pastoral messages (and yes, delivered on the official pope account) like holiday greetings, but not for anything controversial,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, professor of history and political science.
See related: Europe, Media & Journalism, Religion
Maxwell Advisory Board Welcomes New Leadership
Alumni Cathy Daicoff and Nate Shanok lead the board as chair and vice chair, respectively.
See related: Promotions & Appointments, School History
Sultana Weighs In on the Suspension of the Indus River Waters Treaty in DW News Article
India's move to use the Indus Waters Treaty as geopolitical leverage “undermines the legal integrity of such treaties,” says Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment. ”These treaty violations and suspensions can have ripple-on deleterious (harmful) effects across and beyond the region for the examples they set,” she says.
See related: Government, International Affairs, International Agreements, South Asia, Water