From $500 and a Dream to CFO: Alumna Dan Zhang Is Opening Doors for the Next Generation
The ClickUp executive has revived the Maxwell Student Emergency Support Fund to pay it forward—and because she knows firsthand what’s at stake.
See related: Alumni Experience, Giving, Student Experience
Khalil Speaks With News4JAX About the War in Iran
“There is room for negotiation on the nuclear program. But one of the things Iran is looking for is the following: they want the United States to agree, or at least to recognize, its right—Iran's right—too enrich uranium under the nuclear non-proliferation agreement that Iran signed and other countries have signed,” says Osamah Khalil, chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program.
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
Yingyi Ma Cited in TIME Article on the Trump-Xi Summit and AI
“An opening chapter of an AI cold war is emerging,” Yingyi Ma, professor of sociology, wrote ahead of the summit in a Brookings Institution commentary piece that was referenced in TIME.
See related: Artificial Intelligence, China, Federal Government, Government, United States
Forum: Bridging the Gap between Academics and Policymakers in Africa
The article, co-authored by Professor of Anthropology Jok Madut Jok, was published in International Studies Perspectives.
See related: Africa (Sub-Saharan), International Affairs
‘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.
In Science, Research Links Genetic Variations in Virus from Wastewater with Community Transmission
The new findings have wide-ranging implications for improvements in the detection and monitoring of a host of communicable diseases.
See related: Community Health, COVID-19, Epidemiology, United States, Wastewater Surveillance
Do Democrats Still Need to Campaign on Climate Change? Huber Discusses in the New York Times
Policies such as public investments in infrastructure like housing and electricity will help address climate change, says Matt Huber, professor of geography and the environment. But there is little reason for politicians to focus on the issue anymore, he says.
See related: Climate Change, Political Parties, U.S. Elections, United States
A Champion for Inclusion: Katherine McDonald Honored by National Disability Organization
The Maxwell School public health professor and Syracuse University associate vice president for research has been recognized by the nation’s leading organization in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
See related: Awards & Honors
Thompson Quoted in Washington Post Article on the Vatican and Washington
“To have [Vance] speak out and say, in effect, the pope should mind his own business, and the pope should learn Catholic doctrine, and other members of the administration saying things like, the pope should read the Bible—these are kind of odd statements,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, professor of history and political science.
See related: Federal Government, Religion, United States
McDowell Warns of Risks in Using Swap Lines as Geopolitical Tool in Bloomberg Explainer Article
Daniel McDowell tells Bloomberg that the U.S. Treasury using swap lines as a geopolitical instrument with foreign governments could undermine global confidence in the dollar.
See related: Economic Policy, International Affairs, United States
Property Tax Protection and Municipal Bond Valuation
Audie Klotz Named Distinguished Professor
A preeminent scholar in in global migration and human rights, she joined the Maxwell School faculty in 2003.
See related: Awards & Honors, Promotions & Appointments
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.
In Memoriam: Greg Cook ’12 Ph.D. (Anth)
Cook, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of West Florida, died April 1, 2026. He was a 2012 Maxwell School anthropology doctoral alumnus whose underwater archaeology work helped reshape understanding of the Atlantic slave trade and Euro-African maritime history.
See related: In Memoriam
Community Impact Scholarship Recipient ‘Inspired to Keep Giving Back’
First-year student Cole Bailey cowrote a book about his high school volunteering experience and says his Maxwell classes have inspired him to think about giving back on a larger scale.
See related: Academic Scholarships, Student Experience
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
Climate Researcher Ethan Coffel Receives Moynihan Award for Teaching and Research
The assistant professor of geography and the environment will speak at the Maxwell School Graduate Convocation on Friday, May 8.
See related: Awards & Honors, Student Experience
US State Policy Index for Population Health Analyses
The article, co-authored by Maxwell professors Jennifer Karas Montez, Iliya Gutin and Shannon Monnat, was published in The Milbank Quarterly.
See related: Longevity, State & Local Government, U.S. Health Policy, 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.