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  • Maxwell X Lab

    About Us

    Randomized Controlled Trial Diagram 1The Maxwell X Lab started in January 2017 with a singular purpose - partner with the public and nonprofit sector to build evidence for what works.

    We leverage behavioral science and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to intelligently design and rigorously evaluate everything we do. Together these powerful techniques allow practitioners to work with the Maxwell School to improve outcomes cost-effectively and understand the precise impact of each change.

    Email us to learn more. 

    Hear a portion of Director Len Lopoo’s comments to Maxwell alumni where he discusses the goals of the Maxwell X Lab

  • Maxwell X Lab News

    Leonard Lopoo named Volcker Chair at Maxwell School

    Leonard Lopoo, professor of public administration and international affairs, has been named the Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. The Volcker Chair was endowed by Robert Menschel, retired senior director at Goldman Sachs Group and trustee emeritus of Syracuse University. It is named in honor of the late Paul Volcker, a former Maxwell School Advisory Board member. Lopoo succeeds Leonard Burman, named the inaugural Volcker Chair in 2014.

     

    Compassion for Community - Lia Chabot '21 BS (Econ/CCE)

    Lia Chabot ’21 arrived at Syracuse University with a passion for economics, and she’ll graduate with a wealth of experiences that reflect her academic prowess, compassion and commitment to activism. Whether she’s talking monetary policy, crunching data on rental properties, advocating for sexual safety or sharing her love for London, Chabot brings a refreshing perspective to all she does. In the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, she brought her interests together by combining majors in economics and citizenship and civic engagement with a minor in environment and society.

     

    X Lab article on improving SNAP recertification published in JBPA

    "Testing behavioral interventions designed to improve on-time SNAP recertification," co-authored by Len Lopoo, Colleen Heflin and Joe Boskovski, was published in the Journal of Behavioral Public Administration. Given the different levels of governance and the abundance of qualifying rules and processes that low-income households must negotiate to obtain and retain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance benefits, many households fail to recertify for SNAP. The authors found that behaviorally-informed text message reminders are more effective than recorded phone messages in reducing learning costs for SNAP applicants.

     

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