Maxwell Student News

Maxwell Student News
2021 Robertson Fellows committed to public service
This fall, Paul-Donavon Murray and Jacob Emont joined the graduate student ranks at the Maxwell School, pursing dual master’s degrees in public administration and international relations. Both are Robertson Foundation for Government Fellows. Robertson awards are among the most generous and prestigious available to professional graduate students at the Maxwell School, covering full tuition for two years of study, a living stipend, health insurance and assistance in finding a summer internship.

Garcia discusses structural racism, COVID-19 outcomes in PHP blog
"The Devastating Toll of Structural Racism," written by Assistant Professor of Sociology Marc Garcia and Ph.D. student Claire Pendergrast, was published in Public Health Post. Garcia and Pendergrast provide an overview of how structural racism is a root cause of adverse COVID-19 outcomes among older Black and Latinx adults and call for "bold policy measures and serious commitment from government leaders to reduce social and economic inequality experienced by Black and Latinx populations."

Humphrey fellows kick off Syracuse experience
During orientation in early August, 11 Maxwell Humphrey Fellows from nine countries broke into small groups to get to know each other. Activities that build relationships and other orientation events set the stage for the 2021-22 cohort’s 10-month program of professional development, academic study and cultural exchange at Syracuse University.

Keck study on international judicial behavior published in LSI
"Diplomats in Robes: Judicial Career Paths and Free Speech Decision-Making at the European Court of Human Rights," co-authored by Thomas Keck, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, and Ph.D. candidate Claire Sigsworth, was published in Law & Social Inquiry. Their findings show that former judicial career is related to voting patterns in free speech cases. This relationship is clearest for former diplomats, who stand out both for their willingness to vote against freedom-of-expression claims and for their inclination to author dissents against holdings supporting such claims.

David Barbier Jr. ’23 BA (IR) named 2021 Jeff Ubben Posse Fellow
David Barbier Jr. ’23 BA (IR) was looking to explore more of his professional interest in television, radio and film and stretch himself in a challenging role. He found what he was searching for after applying and being named a 2021 Jeff Ubben Posse Fellow. The award includes a $10,000 stipend and a summer internship, working closely with an industry leader. "Posse scholars get the opportunity to apply for the Jeff Ubben Fellowship their sophomore year of college in the hopes of shadowing an industry leader within their field," says Barbier, who is also a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program. "I was blessed with the opportunity to shadow CEO of AMC Networks Josh Sapan."

Students help build food system rooted in social justice, equity
The next big step for the newly formed Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA) started, naturally, with Evan Weissman’s kindness and vision for food justice in the Syracuse community. Jonnell Robinson, Weissman’s close friend and an associate professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, was selected by the Lender Center to replace Weissman as the 2020-22 Lender Center Faculty Fellow (Weissman died unexpectedly in April 2020). “This is what Evan had laid out and was really interested to see happen,” Robinson says. “His major vision was that we didn’t just develop a food policy council, but that we developed a food policy council that was rooted in social justice and equality.”

Four Maxwell students named as 2021 Boren Fellows
Four students in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs have been named as recipients of the 2021 Boren Fellowship. The fellowship, sponsored by the National Security Education Program, funds immersive foreign language study abroad experiences for graduate students who plan to work in the federal national security arena. Through their experiences, the fellows develop critical foreign language and international skills that are important for their chosen careers. The recipients are Courtney Blankenship, Roger Onofre, Ivy Raines and Kelli Sunabe.

Maxwell students awarded Downey Scholarships from SU ICCAE
Four Maxwell students were among the 13 undergraduate, graduate and law students awarded Downey Scholarships by the Syracuse University Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (SU ICCAE). The $1,500 award recognizes academic excellence, commitment to public service and potential to bring diverse and distinctive backgrounds and experiences to the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC).

Internship Brings ‘Full Circle’ Moment
Student Connor Muldoon watched the opening arguments in the trial of George Floyd’s convicted killer, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, on a television in the Syracuse Police Department. His viewing companions—three police officers. It was a moment provided by an educational opportunity; Muldoon was hired to intern in the police department in the spring semester. The opportunity was made possible by a gift from Syracuse University alumnus and Maxwell Advisory Board member David Kelso ’68.

Maxwell scholars publish book on public policy and the life course
Janet M. Wilmoth and Andrew S. London, two professors from the Maxwell School’s Department of Sociology, the Aging Studies Institute and the Center for Aging and Policy Studies, co-edited a new book “Life-Course Implications of U.S. Public Policies” (Routledge, 2021). Professors Colleen Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer and Jennifer Karas Montez, along with Ph.D. student Amra Kandic, contributed to the book.

Maxwell faculty, staff and students honored with 2021 One University awards
Syracuse University announced its 2021 One University Awards, honoring members of the University community for their scholarship, teaching, academic achievement, leadership and service. The ceremony was held virtually this year due to COVID-19 precautions.

Maxwell students chosen to be 2021-22 Remembrance Scholars
Eight Maxwell School students were among those named 2021-22 Remembrance Scholars. The scholarships, now in their 32nd year, were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the 35 students who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Those students, who were returning from a semester of study in London and Florence, were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. The scholarships are funded through an endowment supported by gifts from alumni, friends, parents and corporations.

Ma examines science identity change, college major shifts in new study
"Math and Science Identity Change and Paths into and out of STEM: Gender and Racial Disparities," co-authored by Associate Professor of Sociology Yingyi Ma, was published in Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World. Using data from the Pathways through College Study, Ma and Ph.D. candidate Shiyang Xiao '20 M.A. (Econ) find that science identity changes matter more than math identity changes in their association with the decision to switch majors. Most notably, underrepresented racial minority women are the most vulnerable in terms of decreasing science identity and the associated probabilities of leaking out of STEM.

History undergrads participate in 2021 Phi Alpha Theta conference
The 2021 Western/Central New York Phi Alpha Theta Conference featured five Syracuse students and a recent graduate. Phi Alpha Theta is the History Honors Society and has almost 1,000 chapters across the country with over 400,000 members. This year’s regional conference was held on April 24 and hosted by SUNY Geneseo’s Department of History.

Maxwell students named Class of 2022 Senior Class Marshals
A longstanding tradition honoring two exemplar seniors, the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience announces today the selection of Ava Breitbeck, a political science major, and Morgan Storino, a citizenship and civic engagement major, as the Class of 2022 Senior Class Marshals. In this role, Breitbeck and Storino serve as the all-University representatives for their graduating class and will lead Syracuse University’s 168th Commencement ceremony.

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