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Student Alienation in Schools Goes Beyond Low Achievement

Sean J. Drake and Jeffrey Guhin
This brief summarizes findings from a study drawing on over two years of ethnographic fieldwork in two different high schools in Los Angeles, California. The authors identify four types of alienation students experience: feeling like they don't belong, being in schools that can't support their goals, pursuing futures schools don't recognize, and succeeding in someone else's story.
November 19, 2025

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Public School Districts Should Close Their “Alternative” and “Continuation” High Schools

Sean J. Drake

“Alternative” high schools are meant to help struggling students catch up on credits, but they often function as dumping grounds that perpetuate inequality. 

November 5, 2025

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Suicide Deaths Among Informal Caregivers in an Aging Society: Insights From 18 Years of National Data in Japan

Michiko Ueda-Ballmer

The study, authored by Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, was published in Public Health.

November 3, 2025

The Achievement Narrative and Alienation in School: A Typology of Academic Disconnection

Sean J. Drake, Jeffrey Guhi

The study, co-authored by Assistant Professor of Sociology Sean Drake, was published in Sociology of Education.

October 30, 2025

Why Aren’t More People Calling 988 for Mental Health Crises?

Michiko Ueda, Colleen M. Heflin, Yanhong Liu, Qingyi Yu, and Seethalakshmi Ramanathan
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched in 2022 is a free, confidential alternative, yet awareness remains low and misconceptions persist. This brief summarizes findings from a study that surveyed nearly 1,900 U.S. adults and found that only 22% knew about 988. Even more striking: nearly 9 in 10 people had concerns about using it, and many of those concerns are based on misconceptions.
October 29, 2025

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Policy Recommendations to Reduce Old Age Food Insecurity in the United States

Colleen M. Heflin and Madonna Harrington Meyer

The current policy responses to old age food insecurity are complex, costly, and not nearly effective enough. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief summarizes five policy recommendations to improve food insecurity among U.S. older adults. 

September 10, 2025

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The Basics of the Mundlak and Chamberlain Projections

Badi H. Baltagi and Tom Wansbeek
September 8, 2025

Transitioning from planning to implementation: comparing collaborative governance and developmental dynamics in 4 watersheds

Graham Ambrose and Mark T. Imperial

"Transitioning from planning to implementation: comparing collaborative governance and developmental dynamics in 4 watersheds," co-authored by CPDG Faculty Research Affiliate Graham Ambrose and Mark T. Imperial, was published in Policy Sciences on August 26, 2025.

September 8, 2025

Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adult Food Insecurity

Colleen Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer

Written by Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs, and University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer, the book examines the issue of food insecurity among older adults in the United States. 

September 4, 2025

Self-Reported ADHD Diagnosis and Illicit Drug Use and Prescription Medication Misuse Among U.S. Working-Age Adults

Andrew S. London, Kevin M. Antshel, Joshua Grove, Iliya Gutin, Shannon M. Monnat

The study, co-authored by Maxwell sociologists Andrew London and Shannon Monnat along with Ph.D. student Joshua Grove and Research Assistant Professor Iliya Gutin, was published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.

September 2, 2025

How Local Health Departments Use Wastewater Surveillance Data for Public Health Planning and Intervention in New York State

Shailla Raymond, Mila Neyra, Dustin T. Hill, Ainsley Maclachlan, Jordan McGuire, Matthew Mahaney, Nicole Pulido, Bhavneet Walia, Nan Yang, Yifan Zhu, Yiquan Zhou, David A. Larsen

The article, co-authored by public health professors David Larsen and Bhavneet Walia along with Nicole Pulido, a research associate in the Public Health Department, was published in BMC Public Health.

August 25, 2025

Why Are Food System Workers Excluded from Local Food Policy Councils?

Frank Sarfo, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern and Jonnell A Robinson
This brief summarizes findings from a study that examined the challenges and barriers that have limited FPCs’ engagement with labor issues. The authors find that internal tensions, limited capacity, and weak ties to labor groups hinder FPC engagement in food labor advocacy.
August 20, 2025

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Evaluating Conflict, Interest Advancement, and Representation in Collaborative Governance

Graham Ambrose, Siwei Li, Ali Mohamed Ali Salman Yusuf, Saba Siddiki

"Evaluating Conflict, Interest Advancement, and Representation in Collaborative Governance," co-authored by CPDG Faculty Affiliate Graham Ambrose, Siwei Li, Ali Mohamed Ali Salman Yusuf, and CPDG Director Saba Siddiki, was published in Public Administration on July 31, 2025.

August 18, 2025

Trends in Breast Cancer Screening between Medicare Beneficiaries with and without Food Insecurity

Yeunkyung Kim, Jihye Kim, Sungchul Park, Colleen Heflin, Hyunjee Kim, Yue Li

Published in AJPM Focus, the study was co-authored by Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs.

August 13, 2025

Inequality and COVID Risk at School: Racial Disparities in Indoor Density, Vaccination Rates, and Consequences for Absenteeism

Michael C. Quinn, Michah W. Rothbart, Amy Ellen Schwartz, and Brian Elbel
July 29, 2025

Will Work For Food: Labor across the Food Chain

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Teresa Mares

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, associate professor of geography and the environment, has co-written a new book, Will Work For Food: Labor across the Food Chain (University of California Press, 2025). Minkoff-Zern and co-author Teresa Mares explore the often-overlooked role of labor in the food system, highlighting the exploitation faced by frontline workers from farms to restaurants.

July 16, 2025

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