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Gretchen Purser Honored With 2026 Public Sociology Award

The award is given by the Eastern Sociological Society to recognize sociologists whose innovative research is paired with meaningful public engagement. 

February 12, 2026

See related: Awards & Honors

Sultana Speaks With Al Jazeera About the National Election in Bangladesh

Today’s election is “the first genuinely competitive national vote in nearly two decades,” making it a “historic” moment for Bangladesh, and today's polls “mark a real break from the era of contested, non-credible polls and authoritarian entrenchment,” under Sheikh Hasina’s rule, says Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment.

February 12, 2026

Cohen Quoted in Marketplace Article on How Tariff Rates are Calculated by the Trump Administration

The U.S. is placing tariffs on other countries for making successful products—not because they’re acting unfairly toward the U.S., says Andrew Wender Cohen, professor of history. “Imagine there's a country that's producing something very inexpensively that people make a lot of use out of. You're basically saying, ‘Well, we want to punish you for that.’”

February 11, 2026

Are the Kids Alright? Maxwell Expert Panel Examines Youth Mental Health

The public event in Washington, D.C., capped a day-long gathering that included conversations on research findings and meeting with lawmakers.

February 10, 2026

Reforming Primary Elections: Voters, Campaigns, and the Future of Congressional Politics

Robert G. Boatright, Richard Barton

Maxwell School alumnus and Assistant Teaching Professor Richard Barton ’15 M.A. (PSc) has co-edited a book that examines how primary elections have changed over the past decade and why they often yield extreme or unpopular candidates. 

February 10, 2026

Estévez-Abe Discusses Japan’s Parliamentary Elections With Agence France Presse and The Independent

“Now she [ Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi] doesn't have to worry about any elections until 2028, when the next upper house elections will take place,” says Margarita Estévez-Abe, associate professor of political science. “So the best scenario for Japan is that Takaichi kind of takes a deep breath and focuses on amending the relationship with China.”

February 9, 2026

Latin American Studies Association Honors Gladys McCormick With Book Prize

The Howard F. Cline Book Prize in Mexican History recognizes outstanding scholarship and will be presented in Paris this spring. 

February 9, 2026

Thorson Weighs In on How People Feel About AI ‘Slop’ in BBC Article

“If a person is on a short-video platform solely for entertainment, then their standard for whether something is worthwhile is simply ‘is it entertaining?’,’ says Emily Thorson, associate professor of political science. “But if someone is on the platform to learn about a topic or to connect with community members, then they might perceive AI-generated content as more problematic.”

February 6, 2026

Self-Reported Survey vs. Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Measures of Cocaine Use on a College Campus

Shona McCulloch, Dessa Bergen-Cico, Teng Zeng, David A. Larsen

The study, co-authored by Dessa Bergen-Cico and David Larsen, both professors of public health, was published in PLOS One.

February 5, 2026

Visceral Love and More-Than-Human Interembodiment: Olive Trees as Sentient Kin in Sicily

Amanda Hilton

The study, authored by Assistant Professor of Anthropology Amanda Hilton, was published in Social Science & Medicine.

February 5, 2026

See related: Europe

Gap Analysis in Therapeutic Services for Birthing Individuals with Perinatal Mental Health Disorders

Md Koushik Ahmed, Robert H. Keefe, Brittany Kmush, Emily Shuman, Kathleen Walker, Robert A. Rubinstein, Robert Silverman, Andrea Shaw, Sandra D. Lane

Published in Social Work in Public Health, the article was co-authored by Robert Rubinstein, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Sanda Lane, professor emerita of public health; and Brittany Kmush, associate professor of public health.

February 5, 2026

Sicilianità versus Sicilianismo: Thinking from the South with Sicilian Oliviculturalists

Amanda Hilton

The article, authored by Assistant Professor of Anthropology Amanda Hilton, was published in Italian Studies.

February 5, 2026

See related: Europe

Murrett Talks to Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal and 570 WSYR About US-Iran Tensions

“Defining our mission objectives will be key for any use of force again Iran, that is, one which can credibly lead to meeting a strategic end state,” says Vice Adm. Robert Murrett (Ret.), professor of practice of public administration and international affairs.

February 5, 2026

McDowell Speaks With the AP and The World About the Value of Gold, US Trade Partners and the Dollar

There’s been “a real rupture in the way we think about how the world order, if we want to call it that, functions,” says Daniel McDowell, Maxwell Advisory Board Professor of International Affairs. In moments of instability, he explains, buying gold has historically been a sort of “psychological reaction” for some hoping to find a safe place for their money.

February 4, 2026

Who Should Be on Electronic Monitoring: Conceptualizations of Ideal Supervisees

Gabriela Kirk-Werner

The article, authored by Assistant Professor of Sociology Gabriela Kirk-Werner, was published in Punishment & Society.

February 3, 2026

Heflin Discusses USDA Sec. Rollins’s Three-Dollar Meal Claim With The Bulwark

“I was very confused,” says Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs, about Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’s three-dollar meal claim. “USDA has several established meal plans that they estimate the cost of each month. And none of those comes out to $3.”

February 3, 2026

A New Tool for Handling Multiracial and Multi-Identity Data in Health Research

Gabriel J. Merrin
This brief introduces CATAcode, a free software tool that helps researchers handle check-all-that-apply demographic data more thoughtfully. The tool reveals how coding decisions dramatically affect who is represented in research—decisions that inform health policy and resource allocation. 
February 3, 2026

See related: United States

Erin Hern Shares Expertise on Gender Discrimination for OECD

The Maxwell associate professor was an invited lead discussant for the organization as it prepares to update its Social Institutions and Gender Index, a widely used measure of international gender inequality.

February 2, 2026

Himmelreich Talks to Syracuse.com About the AI Policy Minor and AI in Teaching

“AI is going to have significant social impact. This will create policy challenges that require an understanding of the technology as well as the policy analysis skills,” says Johannes Himmelreich, associate professor of public administration and international affairs.
January 30, 2026
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