Maxwell Student News

Maxwell Student News
Vote of Confidence - Gretchen Coleman '22 BA (PSc)
Gretchen Coleman '22 BA (PSc), a finalist for the prestigious Truman Scholarship, is encouraging the youth vote and addressing voter apathy through civic education.

Career growth without compromise
Though she’s somewhat confined to her home office these days, Lindsay Bentley '10 B.A. (PSc/Soc) is busy opening new doors. She's just completed her first semester of graduate study at Syracuse University's No.1-ranked public affairs school without missing a beat in her career with a local nonprofit health insurer. The online executive master of public administration (EMPA) degree offered through the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is designed for midcareer professionals, like Bentley, who want to expand their credentials without losing traction in their work. Read more about Bentley's experience in the online EMPA program via the SU News website.

Five Maxwell scholars contribute to aging studies handbook
Four professors and a doctoral student from the Maxwell School’s Department of Sociology and Department of Public Administration and International Affairs have contributed to the completely revised ninth edition of the “Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences” (Elsevier Academic Press). In three chapters, Maxwell scholars explore a range of issues related to aging and the life course, including: the link between education and adult health, the life-course consequences of women’s direct and indirect ties to the military, and how intergenerational family ties shape well-being over the life course.

Monnat study on US policies, rural population health published in PPAR
"The Unique Impacts of U.S. Social and Health Policies on Rural Population Health and Aging," co-authored by Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion Shannon Monnat, Lerner Postdoctoral Scholar Danielle Rhubart, and Lerner Graduate Fellow Claire Pendergrast, was published in Public Policy & Aging Report. The authors discuss three large, national policies/programs as exemplars of how policies differentially affect population health and aging in rural versus urban populations: the Older Americans Act, the Affordable Care Act, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. They also discuss implications for policymakers and identify promising areas for research on the spatially disparate impacts of policies on population health and aging.

Jolly study on EU's transnational-nationalist dimension published
"A new divide? Assessing the transnational-nationalist dimension among political parties and the public across the EU," co-authored by Associate Professor of Political Science Seth Jolly and Ph.D. candidate Daniel Jackson, was published in European Union Politics. Jolly and Jackson argue that the transnational-nationalist divide is a useful framework for understanding political conflict over European integration and the recent rise of nationalism across Europe, above and beyond the traditional economic and social left-right dimensions.

Gift from SU Trustee Christine Larsen kick's off Maxwell DEI training
A generous gift from SU Trustee Christine Larsen and Vincent Dopulos will support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training for graduate students at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs over the next five years—a key initial step toward realizing the school’s renewed vision for developing leaders and educators who are committed to improving outcomes for all peoples.

Griffiths evaluates grievances of secessionist movements in new paper
"Local conditions and the demand for independence: A dataset of secessionist grievances," co-authored by Associate Professor of Political Science Ryan Griffiths and Ph.D. candidate Angely Martinez, was published in Nations and Nationalism. There are more than 60 secessionist movements around the world, and they all advance arguments for why they deserve independence. In the article, Griffiths and Martinez construct a dataset of secessionist grievances. They develop a set of grievance indicators, specify how they are operationalized and detail how the grievances are categorized and aggregated. They then tally the results for each contemporary movement and discuss the broader patterns.

In a challenging year, Humphrey Fellows focus on program goals
Nompumelelo Prudence Radebe, a director at the National Treasury of South Africa, was thrilled when she learned in February that she would spend a year at the Maxwell School as a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow. Radebe and eight more Maxwell Humphrey Fellows started a compressed program Dec. 1. The program, typically 10 months beginning Aug. 1, will last six months this year. Radebe hopes her Humphrey experience will teach her to collect and use data to develop public policy. She also is interested in using technology to improve service delivery.

Landes study on COVID-19 impact on people with IDD in CA published
"COVID-19 outcomes among people with intellectual and developmental disability in California: The importance of type of residence and skilled nursing care needs," co-authored by Scott Landes and sociology student Ashlyn Wong, was published in Disability and Health Journal. The study shows that California residents who receive services for intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) have lower COVID-19 case rates but a higher case-fatality rate than the general population. The lower case rate is being driven by those with IDD who live in their own home or a family home, while those living in congregate settings are more likely to be diagnosed with, and die from the virus.

New study examines age‐at‐death disparity, people with and without IDD
"Evidence of continued reduction in the age‐at‐death disparity between adults with and without intellectual and/or developmental disabilities," co-authored by sociologists Scott Landes and Janet Wilmoth, along with social science PhD student Erika Carter Grosso '10 MA (PSc), was published in the Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. Evidence from the study demonstrates that the age‐at‐death disparity between adults who did or did not have an intellectual and/or developmental disability reported on their death certificate continues to decrease, but the magnitude of the remaining disparity varied considerably by type of disability.

CCE student brings authenticity to telling refugee stories
Sophomore Maggie Sardino, a CCE major, works with Syracuse's refugee community through the Narratio Fellowship program and InterFaith Works. "My CCE coursework has enabled me to recognize how important and rare a program like the Narratio Fellowship is," says Sardino. "CCE stresses how important it is that we resist the tendency towards imposing our own understanding onto communities, and instead equip communities with the tools to share their own understandings with the rest of the world. This is exactly what the Narratio Fellowship does," she says. Read more about her experience working with refugees via the Blackstone LaunchPad website.

Ajello Fellows create open data repository of electric grid in Vietnam
When the pandemic hit, Nguyen Phan Bao Linh and Yu En Hsu were worried that they wouldn’t be able to find internships and they would have to leave their Data Analytics for Public Policy program. A gift from James Ajello’s MPA ’76 provided them the opportunity to quickly put together a project focused on energy and the environment that let them use their unique skills and abilities to create a valuable resource for sustainability researchers worldwide.

EMPA student continues his education journey with freedom, flexibility
When Brian Green earned his MBA from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in 2018, he swore to himself that he was done with school. Although he was happy to get 15-20 hours back each week to spend with his wife and four children, Green eventually felt the pull to continue studying and decided to go back for a second master’s degree. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a degree in engineering management, Green knows all about hard work and discipline. So it’s no surprise that when he enrolled in the Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) program, he knew he could juggle all of his work and household responsibilities.

Heflin, Lopoo study on collaboration across social programs published
"When States Align Social Welfare Programs: Considering the Child Support Income Exclusion for SNAP," co-authored by Professor Colleen Heflin, Professor Len Lopoo and PhD candidate Mattie Mackenzie‐Liu, was published in Social Science Quarterly. The authors investigated the state‐level conditions associated with the adoption of policies that benefit participants in multiple social welfare programs, focusing on the case of the child support income exclusion for SNAP benefit eligibility calculations. They found that collaboration across social programs is more likely as state income tax revenues increase and when administrative costs are lower.

Peace Corps, Fulbright evacuees find community, opportunity at Maxwell
Back in March, when Maxwell’s enrollment staff learned of the 7,300 Peace Corps volunteers’ and 2,500 Fulbright grantees’ imminent evacuation due to COVID-19, they saw an opportunity for the school to help. The Department of Public Administration and International Affairs waived application fees and GRE testing requirements for its highly regarded professional degree programs, and offered all admitted evacuees a 50% tuition scholarship. Jeremy Gonzalez and Kelli Sunabe, both Peace Corps evacuees, discuss their experience.

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