ASPI News and Events

He says his Maxwell education, particularly in political science and policy studies, provided a foundation in the multifaceted problem solving involved in his work. “Maxwell taught me how to widen my policy and regulatory aperture,” he says, “because that’s what creates success when certifying autonomous technologies in and outside aviation.”

Amid the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, Maxwell scholars are gathering critical data, designing policy and informing future leaders.

Surveys indicate that Swedish citizens display less anxiety about robots taking their jobs, in part because when companies introduce new technologies, they often pay to upgrade their workers’ skills. “If you upskill workers, you pay them more,” says Aaron Benanav, assistant professor of sociology. “That's a more durable and sustainable process.”

Delali Kumavie, assistant professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, studies the intersection of blackness, aviation and global transit by examining literary and cultural texts by Black writers and artists. She will further explore these intersections during her time as a faculty fellow by designing a course on myth and technology.

"Even if the vast majority of jobs are unlikely to disappear, and if many new jobs are likely to be created, the nature of work will change due to the implementation of technologies like ChatGPT. We need to shift our thinking about how that change occurs," writes Aaron Benanav, assistant professor of sociology.

"Despite brutal repression, protests in Iran continue. The ruling clergy can no longer rally the "masses" behind them, as they have successfully done since the 18th century." University Professor Hamid Ekbia examines the perspectives and dangers of the present revolution in Iran.

“When interest rates were very low, companies basically had endless money—and investors were telling them to focus on growth, not profitability,” says Aaron Benanav, assistant professor of sociology. “But because interest rates are rising, there’s a shift from big investors to say, ‘No, now you really have to focus on profitability.’ And the big way to do that is through cuts.”

Eleven Maxwell School students have been awarded grants from the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) and the Renée Crown University Honors Program. The awards provide up to $7,500 in support for original undergraduate research projects.

Zhang, assistant professor of political science, has received up to $200K to research the role of citizens in the governance of artificial intelligence systems. 

"A world in which human interaction and emotional and facial expressions are surveilled and normed in such a way that it’s ethically defective in many different ways [is] like something straight from a 'Black Mirror' episode," says Johannes Himmelreich, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs.

The Center for Migration Studies presented Winders, professor of geography and the environment and associate provost for faculty affairs, with the award at its annual gala.

“I think it's possible for AI systems not to be sentient, or at least not to the degree that humans are, and still be able to communicate with unique personalities,” says Baobao Zhang, assistant professor of political science and senior research associate in the Autonomous Systems Policy Institute.

Johannes Himmelreich, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs, received the award for outstanding teaching in the Public Administration and International Affairs (PAIA) Department.

Johannes Himmelreich, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs, was quoted in the Observer article, "Tesla’s Claim That Its Cars Are Self-Driving May Cross the Line From Permitted ‘Puffery’ to False Advertising."

Siddiki, associate professor of public administration and international affairs and Chapple Family Professor of Citizenship and Democracy, is co-principal investigator on the project, titled “Strengthening American Electricity Infrastructure for an Electric Vehicle Future: An Energy Justice Approach.”

The Maxwell School welcomes several new faculty members and announces the appointment of three department chairs.

Jamie Winders, professor of geography and the environment and founding director of the Autonomous Systems Policy Institute, was among the presenters offering perspectives on advanced air mobility technologies at a White House summit in Washington, D.C., last week.