From Schumer’s official remarks, “I come to the floor today to congratulate Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs on its 100th anniversary. One hundred years. A remarkable milestone. A remarkable legacy. A remarkable school.”

Sen. Charles Schumer, right, presents Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke with a copy of the remarks from the official congressional record commemorating Maxwell’s centennial.

Founded in 1924 by George Holmes Maxwell, the Maxwell School today is the top-ranked school for public affairs, according to U.S. News & World Report’s rankings, offering graduate and professional programs in public administration and international affairs, and undergraduate and graduate degrees across the social sciences, including signature interdisciplinary undergraduate programs in citizenship and civic engagement; environment, sustainability and policy; and law, society and policy. It is also home to 15 interdisciplinary research centers focused on topical areas within public affairs.

Schumer continued in his remarks, “The school’s more than 38,500 graduates are living and working across the globe, helping to inform public policy—including key legislation that has come before us here, helping to forge compromise amid divide, bringing aid to those in need and defending democracy.”

Schumer also shared that Maxwell alumni have gone on to become ambassadors, legislators, journalists and economists, with many notable names including former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala G’70, H’87; New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80; Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh G’05; and former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing ’66, H’06.

“Though it is based in Syracuse, it has a strong presence here in the nation’s capital, offering programs, internship opportunities and world class instruction through a partnership with the Center for Strategic and International Studies,” Schumer continued. “The Maxwell School’s work supports the foundations and institutions of democracy itself, here and across the globe. This is vital at this time in our world’s history.”

As a guest of Schumer, Van Slyke also toured the Capitol and was able to sit in the gallery as the Senate voted on other matters.

“It was an honor to meet with the senator, and we are thankful that he recognized the Maxwell School’s contribution to our great nation over the past 100 years,” Van Slyke said. “That tribute will be in the official Congressional Record for the next 100 years and beyond. We are delighted to have such a strong supporter of the Maxwell School and Syracuse University in Senator Schumer.”

Schumer’s official floor remarks concluded, “I congratulate Syracuse University, the Maxwell School, Chancellor Kent Syverud, Maxwell Dean David Van Slyke, and the school’s faculty, students, staff and alumni for everything they do to leave the world better than they found it.”

The competition will take place on April 3, 2025, and offers a unique platform for students and teams to propose their ideas for combating the spread of inaccurate or misleading health information among college students. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their strategies in front of a distinguished panel of judges, including experts in public health, media and business innovation.

“We are living in an era where misinformation can have serious, even life-threatening consequences,” says Alexandra Punch, director of the Lerner Center. “This competition is not just about raising awareness but driving real, actionable ideas and solutions that can be implemented on a community or even national scale.”

Submissions for the upcoming competition will be judged based on four key criteria: creativity, feasibility, impact potential and scalability. The top team will be awarded cash prizes, mentorship opportunities and access to valuable resources to further refine and implement their project. Finalists will also gain the opportunity to connect with influential stakeholders in the fields of public health and entrepreneurship, opening doors for potential partnerships and ongoing support.

The Lerner Center and Blackstone LaunchPad are hosting information sessions for prospective participants. The next session will be , and will provide detailed guidance on the competition, offering tips on crafting an effective pitch and outlining the submission process.

The Social Impact Pitch Competition, which aims to attract both students and professionals, will focus this year on combating misinformation—an issue that has gained prominence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as misleading health narratives have proliferated on social media and other platforms. The competition seeks to inspire innovative solutions to the growing public health challenge.

For those interested in more information or to sign up for updates, visit the Lerner Center’s or attend one of the upcoming information sessions.

Then he shared that when he poses that question in his classes, hardly anyone raises their hand. When he calls on students, they inevitably describe the feeling they have when around family or when doing something they like, he said.

Brooks tells them: “‘That’s beautiful. That’s lovely. That’s wrong!’”

New York Times bestselling author and former Maxwell professor Arthur C. Brooks discussed the secrets of happiness at an event held on Oct. 30 in the National Veterans Resource Center.

“And it’s good news that it’s wrong,” he explained. “Because if you’re looking for a feeling to get your happiness, you’re going after a vapor. You’re consigning your happiness to forces out of your control. You’re going to go to bed at night saying, boy I sure hope I feel happy tomorrow. And point of fact, that’s how a lot of people live.”

Brooks’ talk, “How to Get Happier in an Unhappy World,” was held in the K.G. Tan Auditorium in the National Veterans Resource Center on Oct. 30. It was hosted by the Maxwell School and sponsored by the D’Aniello Family Foundation, the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy and the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Leadership.

Brooks taught at Maxwell from 2001 to 2009. In addition to serving on the faculty at Harvard, he writes the popular weekly “How to Build a Life” column for The Atlantic and he is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of 13 books, including “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier” (Penguin Random House, 2023), co-authored with Oprah Winfrey.

Brooks’ focus on the scientific study of happiness began as he ended his time as the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. His Harvard class on the subject typically has a waiting list of several hundred students.

“It’s the most oversubscribed elective at the business school,” Brooks told the Syracuse audience, “which is weird, when you think about it. I mean, it’s a business curriculum and I’m teaching about happiness.”

But Brooks contends it’s popular because he is teaching students the business of their lives.

“I reinforce the idea that their lives are an entrepreneurial endeavor and they’re the founders,” said Brooks. “They’re the people who are building this incredible enterprise. The fortune they’re trying to accumulate is in love and happiness, and that’s what I want to help them get better at.”

So, what are the secrets to happiness?

“What we know in this field, based on both behavioral science and neuroscience, is that the happiest people have in both balance and abundance three things,” Brooks said. “They are enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning. Those are the three parts to happiness. You want to be a happier person? Those are things to pursue.”

Brooks spoke in depth about each of the three and how individuals can work to improve the ingredients of happiness in their own lives. He also shared his four pillars for happiness: Faith, family, friendship and work. Faith, he explained, doesn’t require religion, but can also come from something as simple as taking in a beautiful moment in nature.

Brooks’ lecture ended a daylong visit that included lunch with Maxwell and Arts and Sciences leadership scholars, as well as meetings with faculty, staff and University leaders.

“It was such a pleasure to have Arthur back on campus, to not only speak to this audience, but to interact with our students and see many old friends,” said Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke. “His insights into achieving happiness are helping people around the globe, and I am hopeful everyone who heard his remarks and spent time with him learned something about this important subject and about themselves.”

Brooks’ work on happiness can be found at .

A former faculty member who is regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on the science of human happiness will return to Syracuse University later this month to outline a pathway by which individuals, communities and the governance of our nation can improve by learning how to live happier lives and committing to the greater well-being of others.

Arthur C. Brooks, a Harvard University professor and co-author of the New York Times bestseller ‘Build the Life You Want’ with Oprah Winfrey, will deliver remarks during an on-campus event on Oct. 30.

Arthur C. Brooks, a professor at Harvard University and best-selling author, will present “How to Get Happier in an Unhappy World” on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the K.G. Tan Auditorium in the National Veterans Resource Center at The Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building.��The event is free and open to the University community and the general public. Advanced .

Brooks is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School and professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He writes the popular weekly “How to Build a Life” column for The Atlantic, and he is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of 13 books, including “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier,” co-authored with Oprah Winfrey.

No stranger to Syracuse, Brooks taught courses at Maxwell in policy analysis, microeconomics, public and nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship from 2001 to 2009, and he was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy starting in 2007. His work in the classroom earned him the school’s Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award for outstanding teaching, research, and service and the Birkhead-Burkhead Teaching Excellence Award.

“We are delighted to host our friend and former colleague Arthur Brooks for what is sure to be an insightful talk about an important subject for each of us,” says Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke. “There are so many ways that we measure success in our society, yet one of the most elusive and hardest to obtain is this notion of happiness. I look forward to hearing Arthur’s thoughts on this, and how to strengthen our lives and the resilience and opportunities of our communities. The effectiveness of our democracy depends on healthy and happy individuals that can work together for the common good. I encourage everyone who can to attend.”

Brooks left Maxwell in 2009 to become the eleventh president of the American Enterprise Institute, a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C. He joined the faculty of Harvard in July of 2019.

Prior to joining academia, Brooks spent 12 years as a professional musician, holding positions with the Barcelona Symphony and other ensembles. He earned a master of arts degree in economics from Florida Atlantic University in 1994 and a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in public policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School of Policy Studies in 1998.

Brooks’ talk is sponsored by the D’Aniello Family Foundation, the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy and the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Leadership.

The event was organized by the (CACI) in the Maxwell-based . The event was among several held by the Maxwell School leading up to its 100th anniversary in October 2024.

“We were delighted to host a truly global group of scholars and experts for the CESS fall conference as we continue to celebrate the Maxwell School’s centennial,” says , professor of geography and the environment and director of CACI. “The conversations at this conference, and the ongoing research of the attendees, are vital to understanding this complex and rapidly changing part of the world.”

A conference participant speaks with Maxwell alumna Bhavna Davé ’96 Ph.D.

The theme of the conference, “Citizenship Unbound: Central Eurasia in a Changing World,” focused discussions on the past and present challenges of citizenship in Central Eurasia. Sessions covered an array of subjects from regional economics and green investment to cultural identity and women’s rights. Presenters and panelists represented a spectrum of relevant disciplines, with many scholars making the trip to Maxwell from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, among many other locations. Additional cultural events enriched the conference experience for attendees, including an exhibition of cultural artifacts from the region and a movie night featuring an Uzbek contemporary film.

Alumna Bhavna Davé ’96 Ph.D., a senior lecturer at the University of London, delivered the conference’s keynote address, “Eurasia Unbound? Reflections on Empire, Geopolitics and Citizenship.” Koch facilitated a discussion following the remarks.

CESS is a North America-based organization of scholars interested in the study of Central Eurasia, including its history, languages, cultures, people and modern states. As an organization promoting an interdisciplinary approach to studying and understanding the region, Maxwell was well-suited to host the conference.

The gathering was co-sponsored by the Middle Eastern Studies Program, the Departments of Political Science and Geography and the Environment, as well as Syracuse University Libraries and Hendricks Chapel.

David Van Slyke (left) and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

David M. Van Slyke, dean of the , met with alumni, partners and dignitaries, including India’s minister of education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, during a recent visit that celebrated the school’s and its 70-plus-year partnership with the country.

Dean Van Slyke was in India along with Maxwell’s Director of Accelerated Learning and Global Engagement Dan Nelson to celebrate the centennial and highlight the global impact of the school’s students, faculty and alumni. The ��began more than��. That history started soon after India’s independence, grew stronger in the second half of the last century, and has recently focused on Maxwell’s educational expertise in public administration and international affairs. Over the decades, Maxwell has hosted thousands of Indian students, citizens and civil servants.

The meeting with Minister of Education Pradhan was made possible by the long relationship between Maxwell and India, and it represented the hope for even more collaboration and partnership with the world’s largest democracy and most populous country.

“Meeting with Minister of Education Pradhan was truly an honor, and it put an exclamation point on what was a wonderfully productive visit where we spent time with our global partners and accomplished alumni,” says Van Slyke. “I look forward to our continued partnership with India and its people.”

Van Slyke also met with Surendra Nath Tripathi, the director general of the Indian Institute for Public Administration (IIPA), founded upon the recommendation of and in consultation with former Maxwell dean Paul Appleby.�� Van Slyke spoke with faculty, civil servants and military personnel at IIPA, among other institutions, on how governments manage complex partnerships with industry.

Maxwell’s longstanding position to invest in the development and raise awareness of good governance initiatives around the globe is a hallmark of the school and was facilitated through meetings with Dr. R Balasubramaniam at the Government of India’s Capacity Building Commission.

Dean Van Slyke also served as the keynote speaker at the International Conference on Public Policy and Management hosted by the Centre for Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. The interdisciplinary conference drew scholars representing diverse perspectives on public policy issues and provided a forum for showcasing the latest developments in policy research and practice.

The visit to India culminated with a centennial gathering at the Delhi Gymkhana Club. There, Van Slyke and Nelson joined over 80 Maxwell alumni, partners and dignitaries to celebrate the global impact of Maxwell and the school’s special relationship with India.

A large group of Maxwell alumni, partners and dignitaries celebrate the school’s centennial with Dean Van Slyke.

Several Maxwell School faculty have been promoted to leadership roles, including Junko Takeda, who has been named chair of the Citizenship and Civic Engagement (CCE) Undergraduate Program after serving in an interim role since July 2023, and Leonard M. Lopoo, who began as chair of the Public Administration and International Affairs Department in July 2024.

Junko Takeda

Takeda, professor of history, was named interim chair in the spring of 2023. Her research and teaching interests include the histories of citizenship, early modern globalization, revolutions, migration, displacement and disease. She has written two monographs, “Between Crown and Commerce: Marseille and the Early Modern Mediterranean” (Johns Hopkins, 2011), and “Iran and a French Empire of Trade, 1700–1808: The Other Persian Letters” (Liverpool University Press, Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment, 2020). Her two books-in-progress explore migration, dispossession, and ethnic and religious violence in the early modern world. Takeda’s additional interests include Asian-American history and Zainichi Korean history.

Takeda is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards. At Syracuse she has received the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award for Research and Teaching, and she was named the inaugural O’Hanley Faculty Scholar and Daicoff Faculty Scholar. She also received the Junior Meredith Teaching Recognition Award as an assistant professor, and the Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award from the Graduate School in 2023.

Leonard Lopoo

Lopoo is professor, chair and associate dean of public administration and international affairs, the Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics, and a senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research. He succeeds Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs.

While chair, Lopoo will continue to serve as director of the Maxwell X Lab, which he co-founded in 2017 with Joe Boskovski G’14.

Lopoo applies behavioral public administration principles to improve the performance of government agencies and nonprofit organizations. His research also focuses on family matters, ranging from fertility and marriage to maternal employment and the social welfare policies designed to assist the low-income population. He has published work in several journals, including Demography, Journal of Health Economics, the Journal of Marriage and the Family, and Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.

His research has been supported by numerous federal agencies and foundations, including the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute on Aging, Pew Charitable Trusts, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Allyn Family Foundation. His honors have included the Birkhead-Burkhead Teaching Excellence Award, the Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award, the Meredith Professors Recognition Award and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize.

Additionally, three faculty members have assumed director roles for the 2024-25 academic year: Christopher Faricy, Sebastian Karcher and Amy Lutz.

Christopher Faricy

Faricy, associate professor of political science and the inaugural Hicker Professor of Renewing Democratic Community, succeeds Grant Reeher as director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. Faricy is the co-director of the American Policy Agendas Project, a multi-institution initiative that uses data to trace changes in the national policy agenda and public policy outcomes of the United States. He is also a research affiliate for the Center for Policy Research and the Center for Policy Design and Governance. He researches American politics, social policy, income inequality, tax policy and public opinion on government spending.

He authored “Welfare for the Wealthy: Parties, Social Spending, and Inequality in the United States” (Cambridge University Press, 2015) and co-wrote “The Other Side of the Coin: Public Opinion toward Social Tax Expenditures” (Russel Sage Foundation, 2021). He has received funding from the Russell Sage Foundation for his research on social, political and economic inequality and he has been cited by numerous media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Forbes and The Washington Post.

Sebastian Karcher

Karcher, a research associate professor in the political science department, recently became director of the Center for Qualitative and Multi-Method Inquiry. He also directs the related Qualitative Data Repository. His work has been published in numerous journals across traditional disciplinary lines, including the Data Science Journal, International Studies Quarterly and Qualitative Health Research. In June 2024, he started a four-year tenure as an associate editor of the American Political Science Review. He has received funding from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Sloan Foundation.

Amy Lutz

Lutz, associate professor of sociology, is director of the Social Science Ph.D. Program. A senior research associate for the Center for Policy Research, she studies children of immigrants and inequalities related to race, ethnicity and education. Her work has been published in journals such as City & Community, and Sociology of Education and has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation and CUSE grants. Additionally, she is co-author of “Parenting in Privilege or Peril: How Social Inequality Enables or Derails the American Dream” (Teachers College Press, 2021).

“I am grateful to these highly accomplished scholars, instructors and outstanding citizens of the school for taking on the leadership mantle and providing our community with strong experience and a deep appreciation for our mission and goals,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke.

A long, distinguished career has taken Army Colonel Pia W. Rogers L’01, G’01 to assignments around the globe and led to her current position at the Pentagon.

Pia W. Rogers

On Friday, June 28, she we will return to where her professional journey began, Syracuse University, to give the keynote address at the 2024 master of public administration convocation ceremony, as the school celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Rogers plans to talk about her path in the 22 years since earning a Maxwell M.P.A., as well as her commitment to public service and her advice for graduates. “Today my energy is derived from those around me—subordinates, peers and superiors—and how we, collectively, improve our foxhole,” she says.

After being commissioned at Syracuse University through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program and earning her undergraduate degree in journalism from the Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1998, Rogers went on to complete the J.D./M.P.A. dual-degree program in 2001.

She joined the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 2002 and has been an active-duty soldier for 22 years. During that time, she has been stationed at numerous locations across the globe, including Taegu, South Korea; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Bolslawiac, Poland. In the U.S., she has worked in Maryland, Virginia, Kansas, North Carolina, Colorado and now, at the Pentagon, where she serves as the chief of legislation, investigations and nominations for the Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison, U.S. Army.

Maxwell’s M.P.A. program was the first program of its kind in the nation and was one of the original educational offerings of the Maxwell School when it opened in Slocum Hall on Oct. 3, 1924, thanks to the vision and support of George Holmes Maxwell. The yearlong program runs from July to June and has consistently been ranked No. 1 by peers surveyed for U.S. News & World Report. It blends theory and practice to prepare service-oriented leaders for careers in a wide-range of fields in the public and private sectors.

The convocation ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in Hendricks Chapel with welcoming remarks by Patrick Edwards G’24 M.P.A. and a graduating student address by Omer Keles G’24.

At the conclusion of the keynote and student addresses, the Brady K. Howell Maxwell Alumni Award will be presented to Judith Douglas ’77, G’81. Douglas is the industry chair of the Collaboration Council for the American Council for Technology, Industry Advisory Council Executive Committee.

Douglas’ public service leadership spans federal, state and local levels of government, as well as nonprofit organizations, academia and private industry. She is being honored for her innovative and collaborative contributions across industries and her ongoing involvement as an alumna.

Syracuse University alumni and staff with representatives from the New York State Legislature. (Photo courtesy of New York State Senate)

The New York State Legislature honored the history and legacy of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs with the passage of a resolution celebrating the school’s 100th anniversary. The resolution was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Rachel May and in the Assembly by Assemblymembers William Magnarelli ’70, L’73, Pamela Hunter and Albert Stirpe.

Senate Resolution No. 1717/Assembly Resolution No. 2004 reads: “The Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is proudly aware of its distinguished past, eager to fulfill its present commitment to parents, students and the community, and planning with vision and purpose for the ebb and swell of growth and change it will encounter in the years to come; now, therefore, be it resolved, that this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.”

David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School, traveled to Albany with several school representatives to receive the resolution and to be recognized from the floor of the New York State Senate and Assembly.

At the presentation of the resolution were, from left, Maxwell Assistant Dean for Advancement Elizabeth Armstrong, Asm. William Magnarelli, Dean David M. Van Slyke, Asm. Pamela Hunter, Director of Accelerated Learning and Global Engagement Dan Nelson, and Asm. Albert Stirpe.

“It was a true privilege to be recognized in the New York State Senate and Assembly chambers for the work the Maxwell School has accomplished over the last century,” Van Slyke says. “The New York State Legislature, and New York State government in general, are one of the many places where our students go in great numbers after graduation to start long and impactful careers in public service. To visit with so many alumni in chambers and in the capital was a pleasure.”

Founded in 1924 by George Holmes Maxwell, whose vision it was to establish a “School of American Citizenship,” the Maxwell School today is the top-ranked school for public affairs, according U.S. News & World Report’s rankings, offering graduate and professional programs in public administration and international affairs, and undergraduate and graduate degrees across the social sciences, including signature interdisciplinary undergraduate programs in policy, civic engagement, environmental sustainability and international relations. It is also home to 15 interdisciplinary research centers focused on topical areas within public affairs.

Assistant Dean for Advancement Elizabeth Armstrong and Director of Accelerated Learning and Global Engagement Dan Nelson joined Van Slyke in receiving the recognition before the Senate and Assembly. The delegation also met with Maxwell alumni in the capitol and at a reception follow the legislative honors.

Maxwell School alumni currently in the Legislature include Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky ’60, Assemblymembers Magnarelli, Nily Rozic ’22 and John Lemondes G’97, G’01. Hundreds more alumni work in the state Legislature and across all levels of state government, as well as in the capital region.

Thomas M. Keck, professor of political science and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, has been named a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow. Keck was included among a diverse class recognized by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation as “culture-creators.”

Thomas M. Keck

“This is a highly prestigious recognition and an honor earned from Professor Thomas Keck’s research and long engagement on critical issues of democracy and governance. I congratulate him for this accomplishment,” says David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. “I thank him for being a valuable contributor to the Maxwell School and its students and for the public impact that his evidence-based research will have on dialogue, decision-making and policy in the United States and beyond. His expertise and insight on the U.S. Supreme Court and the First Amendment help strengthen our society’s democratic institutions.”

The Guggenheim Fellowship will support Keck’s research on judicial decisions related to free speech in the contemporary United States, in European democracies facing similar threats, and in the U.S. during prior periods of democratic crisis. Ultimately, it will fund a book project titled “Extremist Speech and Democratic Backsliding.”

“I am so grateful for this fellowship, as it will enable me to devote a full year of research and writing to this book project focused on speech restrictions during instances of democratic backsliding,” says Keck. “Free speech restrictions are a recurring feature of democratic backsliding. I plan to examine whether and to what degree courts across time and space have checked anti-democratic and, arguably, pro-democratic speech restrictions amid democratic crises.”

Keck is among the country’s foremost experts on the modern Supreme Court and has been cited extensively by the media for recent rulings such as Dobbs v. Jackson. Keck’s research has also appeared in leading journals; his 2007 article on Supreme Court decision-making, published in the American Political Science Review, received the American Political Science Association’s (Law and Courts Section) Houghton-Mifflin Award in 2008 for the best journal article in the field of law and courts by a political scientist.

In addition to Keck’s analysis of the Supreme Court, his current scholarly work focuses on the tension and balance between freedom of expression and academic freedom.

Keck earned a Ph.D. at Rutgers University in 1999 and taught at the University of Oklahoma for several years before joining the Maxwell School in 2002. In 2004, Keck’s first book, “The Most Activist Supreme Court in History: The Road to Modern Judicial Conservatism,” was published by the University of Chicago Press. It is considered one of the most important works on the expansion of conservative judicial activism. His second book, “Judicial Politics in Polarized Times,” was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2014.

This year’s Guggenheim Fellows were chosen from almost 3,000 applications based on “prior career achievement and exceptional promise,” and following a peer review process. Since the fellowship was established in 1925 by Sen. Simon Guggenheim, the foundation has honored 19,000 fellows that include artists, scholars, photographers, novelists, essayists, poets, historians, choreographers, environmentalists and data scientists. The recognition includes a stipend that allows awardees to pursue their work under “the freest possible conditions.”

The full list of 2024 fellows can be found at .

The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs once again ranked No. 1 overall in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Public Affairs Schools rankings.

Syracuse University’s ranked No. 1 overall in the latest . Maxwell has received this top honor in 13 of the 14 years in which the peer surveys have been conducted.��In addition, the school remains highly ranked in ten subspecialties.

David M. Van Slyke

“As the Maxwell School celebrates its 100-year anniversary, we remain as focused as ever on preparing students to be public servants, leaders and scholars who will have a positive impact on their communities and the world around them,” says , dean of the Maxwell School. “We are honored that our peers again recognized this work. We are also thankful to be counted among so many schools, colleges and universities preparing students to make a positive impact on democratic institutions and governance. And we share this honor with our students, faculty, staff and the vast network of Maxwell alumni who seek evidence-based solutions, encourage civil discourse, and ever strive to leave the world better than they found it.”

The Best Public Affairs Schools rankings are based solely on surveys of deans, directors and department chairs representing 271 master’s programs in public affairs and administration. Each school is numerically ranked by peer school leadership on a 5-point scale, with the average score determining the school’s overall rank. Additionally, survey respondents can nominate up to 15 schools for excellence in 12 subspecialties, with the number of nominations determining each school’s position in the ranking.

U.S. News began ranking graduate programs in public affairs in 1995. Since then, the Maxwell School has been ranked No. 1 in every survey but one.

This year, the Maxwell School is highly ranked across ten subspecialty categories, including:

• Environmental Policy and Management
• Health Policy and Management
• International Global Policy and Administration
• Information and Technology Management
• Local Government Management
• Non-Profit Management
• Public Finance and Budgeting
• Public Management and Leadership
• Public Policy Analysis
• Social Policy

“We are thankful for this recognition from our peers and for the students who, throughout the years, put their trust in us,” says , associate dean, chair and professor of public administration and international affairs. “I think our greatest attribute is our ability to foster creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and leadership for the common good. Students come here to learn tools for change, and leave as leaders ready to tackle complex problems, with the courage to challenge the status quo and the preparation to succeed in leading at all levels of government and in the private and non-profit sectors across the United States and around the world.”

The Maxwell School was founded in 1924, thanks to the support of George Holmes Maxwell and his vision to establish a “School of American Citizenship.” As the world has changed and faced new challenges, the Maxwell School, too, has evolved to meet those challenges in its storied history. The Maxwell School is home to ��that work to shed light on a range of issues, including environmental sustainability; autonomous systems policy; population health and aging; law and security; conflict resolution; democracy and journalism; global affairs; regional studies; and more. The school continues to evolve to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Just this year, the Maxwell School launched the new , a joint degree program in coordination with the . It is co-directed by Maxwell’s Jay S. Golden, Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance and founding director of the , and leverages the strengths of both schools to prepare students to be versatile, multidisciplinary, forward-looking leaders ready to take on the important challenges across the globe related to sustainability.

“Our strength, over the last 100 years and today, lies in Maxwell’s continuing ability to evolve as we leverage an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to address the greatest challenges faced by humanity,” says Van Slyke. “Today that list of issues and challenges includes environmental sustainability, artificial intelligence, international security, conflict resolution, poverty and health equity, to name a few. Within the walls of Maxwell and across the globe, our students, faculty, staff and alumni do that work on a daily basis. That is the greatest reward we can receive.”

The input will help researchers better understand student experiences at the University and improve the resources available. Participation is entirely voluntary and anonymous.��

Time commitment

The should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

What’s in it for you?

By participating, students will also have the chance to win one of 50 $75 Amazon gift cards. The email address provided will be kept separate from survey responses, ensuring there is no way to link survey responses with the identity of respondents.

The survey is open��until Friday, March 15.

Any questions should be directed to the principal investigator of the survey, Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor, public administration and international affairs department, Maxwell School, at��miueda@syr.edu.