“The challenges facing communities across the globe are increasingly complex and interconnected. We see this in the economic and educational aftershocks of the pandemic and the threats to infrastructure, security and climate justice created by a warming planet,” says David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. “Now more than ever the world needs adaptable leaders who are engaged across diverse people, issue areas and interests. We know that no ranking provides a complete picture of performance; but we are proud to be among the schools being recognized by our peers for this work, and we look forward to our continued good work together.”

The Best Public Affairs Schools rankings are based solely on surveys of deans, directors and department chairs representing 269 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. Unlike rankings for other disciplines, the public affairs ranking does not look at performance indicator inputs (such as test scores) or outputs (such as hiring salaries).

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

• Public Management and Leadership
• Nonprofit Management
• Public Finance and Budgeting
• Public Policy Analysis
• Local Government Management
• International Global Policy and Administration
• Environmental Policy and Management
• Social Policy
• Urban Policy
• Information and Technology Management

“For anyone looking to make a difference in the community—locally, regionally, domestically or internationally—there’s a Maxwell program to fuel your passion and develop your effectiveness,” says Colleen Heflin, associate dean, chair and professor of public administration and international affairs. “We measure our success by the important work our graduates do as leaders in the fields of public policy, public administration and international affairs; the recognition and renown of our faculty members in their fields of expertise; and the vibrancy of our academic environment, including our students, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures and areas of interest.”

Central to the school’s growth is its continued investment in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility—in both its learning and research environments and in its public impact. 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.

Among Maxwell’s newest research centers is in Washington, D.C., a joint effort with the S.I. Newhouse School for Public Communications to promote nonpartisan, evidence-based research and to convene civic dialogue around polarizing issues. The institute is led by veteran journalist Margaret Talev, who joined the University as Kramer Director in January 2023.

Also joining the Maxwell community this semester as director of the is computer and cognitive sciences expert Hamid Ekbia, who has been appointed University Professor in the Maxwell School. Ekbia will engage researchers across campus to better understand the societal impacts of emerging technologies and to help shape the policy, legal and ethical frameworks guiding their proliferation.

Meanwhile, the , home to the new Policy Design Studio, launched last year under the leadership of its founding director Saba Siddiki, associate professor of public administration and international affairs. The center helps public service leaders evaluate the effectiveness of their policies and promotes stakeholder engagement in the policy design process.

“The Maxwell community strives every day to make a public impact with our teaching, research and applied work. The school’s excellence is fueled by the creativity and talent of its faculty, students and staff, as well as the continued support of its global alumni,” says Van Slyke. “They are what has made it such a special place to work, learn and study for 99 years, and what propels us into the future.”

The ranks No. 1 in the 2023 rankings. This year, Maxwell shares the top ranking with Indiana University’s Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

The Best Public Affairs Schools rankings are based solely on surveys of deans, directors and department chairs representing 270 master’s programs in public affairs and administration. The survey has been administered 12 times over 27 years; the Maxwell School has ranked No. 1 in every survey except one.

“As the first school of its kind, Maxwell’s reputation is built on a tradition of innovative excellence by our social science, public administration and international affairs faculty and the school’s alumni,” says David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. “I’m delighted that their work receives the recognition of our peers and proud to be part of the NASPAA [Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration] community of scholars dedicated to advancing the discipline and preparing the next generation of public service leaders.”

In addition to the overall rank, the school ranked highly across a wide range of subspecialties within public affairs, retaining top positions in Public Management and Leadership (No. 1), Nonprofit Management (No. 2), and Public Finance and Budgeting (No. 2) and—notably—moving up from No. 11 to No. 6 in Environmental Policy and Management.

Public Affairs Subspecialty Rankings

• No. 1 Public Management and Leadership
• No. 2 Nonprofit Management
• No. 2 Public Finance and Budgeting
• No. 3 Information and Technology Management
• No. 6 Local Government Management
• No. 6 Environmental Policy and Management
• No. 7 Public Policy Analysis
• No. 9 International Global Policy and Administration
• No. 14 Urban Policy
• No. 15 Social Policy

Adding to its significant research and teaching expertise in environmental policy—including faculty affiliated with its and the in Energy and Environmental Policy, the Maxwell School recently added a new undergraduate double-major program in , and a new named professorship—the . In August 2021, Jay Golden was appointed the inaugural professor, launching the Dynamic Sustainability Lab at the Maxwell School to examine the impacts of new technologies, policies and strategies aimed at meeting sustainability commitments.

Also this year, the Maxwell School launched new accelerated bachelor’s to master’s programs, in which highly qualified undergraduates can apply to earn a professional master’s degree from one of Maxwell’s highly regarded programs: a or with just one additional year of study inclusive of an internship.

“As the Maxwell School approaches its 100th anniversary in 2024, we continue to look for ways to develop knowledge, innovate our teaching and lead across public affairs issues,” says Van Slyke. “In the coming months, I look forward to announcing new research initiatives that address pressing issues and support our shared mission to make a better world for all.”

Shana Kushner Gadarian

Inspired by her own experiences with “the best professors,” alumna Merle Goldberg Fabian ’59 donated $3 million to fund a professorship that champions responsible citizenship and educates students on the importance of critical thinking in service of democratic values.

Gadarian is a professor and chair of political science, as well as a senior research associate with the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. “She is an excellent fit for this role as an outstanding teacher of undergraduate and graduate students who offers extensive mentoring and support,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “She is also among the most productive, impactful scholars on the Maxwell faculty.”

Gadarian’s research is frequently cited in media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, most recently related to the impact of partisanship on attitudes and health behaviors related to the pandemic. For her scholarship in this field, in 2021 she was awarded a prestigious Carnegie Fellowship, the so-called “brainy award” that provides up to $200,000 for a book or a major study into a pressing societal issue. Gadarian is the third professor from Maxwell to be honored with this award in recent years.

The professorship’s focus on democratic citizenship is particularly exciting to Gadarian, as it is a frequent theme in her political science courses. In simple terms, it refers to one’s duty to be well-informed and active in society.

“I’m truly honored to have been chosen as the first recipient of this professorship,” says Gadarian. “This type of investment is vitally important to Maxwell as we work with students to deepen citizenship and civic engagement at this very important moment in American politics.”

Fabian’s gift supports one of the Maxwell School’s key fundraising priorities in the Forever Orange Campaign, to “Attract, Hire and Retain Excellent Faculty.” Gifts that support faculty—particularly in the form of fellowships and endowed professorships—bolster the school’s ability to ensure faculty excellence across disciplines.

Gadarian follows a legacy of professors who inspired Fabian as an undergraduate student in the 1950s. Fabian, who earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies, credits them with feeding her interest in public affairs and the obligations of citizens to be knowledgeable and active participants in democracy. She took courses in American history, government and literature and was selected to spend a semester studying in Washington, D.C., where she met with Hubert Humphrey and other government leaders.

Merle Goldberg Fabian ’59

“I was a good high school student, but didn’t have a vision,” recalls Fabian, who traveled from her home in Maryland to enroll in the University in 1955. “But when I took classes with professors who had a worldview, who were so educated and incredibly articulate, they inspired me. They had a great sense of what government responsibility and citizens’ responsibility should be. I learned not to simply accept what I heard without challenging it in some way.”

Fabian went on to earn a graduate degree in library science from Catholic University of America and held positions of responsibility at the Canadian Embassy Library, the San Francisco Public Library and the Government Affairs Institute.

Her brother, Leslie H. Goldberg, served as president of their family business, Bowl America Inc., until his death in 2019. In the last two years, his sister has focused on setting up a family foundation and making donations in his name to his alma mater, the University of Virginia.

That inspired her to create an endowment at her own alma mater while she is alive and able to see it benefit Maxwell faculty and students. She was thrilled to learn that Gadarian was selected. “The dean has assured me that Professor Gadarian is exactly the sort of scholar I hoped to see fill this position,” she says.

Fabian believes the need for critical thinkers is more important than ever. Her conversations with Van Slyke convinced her that today’s students could fill that need when inspired, as she was, by dynamic professors.

“I’m so encouraged by the fact that our students really want to make a difference,” says Van Slyke. “Merle believes, as I do, that professors can do a lot to expose students to a range of ideas that they may not have thought about or experienced. The most impactful professors bring together research and teaching and policy relevance to send their students out into the world to be constructive forces of change.”

Gadarian will hold the professorship for five years. Van Slyke is confident she will be an inspiring force who can influence careers and change lives. He notes that “nearly every student at Syracuse University takes a social science class in Maxwell where they are similarly encouraged to challenge ideas, wrestle with issues and become a force for positive change.”

To learn how you can get involved in Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University, which endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support to enhance academic excellence and the student experience for all, visit .

“We’re pleased to receive the recognition of our peers and proud to serve with them as part of the global Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration committed to the public good,” says David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. “Last year was not only a stark reminder of why we do what we do; it was a wake-up call that we all must work even harder to increase representation in public administration and leadership and to center equity, inclusion and justice across issue areas—among them public health, rule of law, the economy, climate change and more.”

Among specialty areas, Public Management & Leadership maintained it’s top rank, with the areas of Non-Profit Management and Public Finance & Budgeting also remaining ranked No. 2. The School now ranks No. 2 in Information Technology Management, No. 4 in Local Government Management, No. 7 in Public Policy Analysis and No. 7 in International Global Policy & Administration.

“This recognition is a testament to the quality and dedication of our faculty, staff, students and alumni who conduct meaningful research and forge solutions to a breadth of pressing issues unfolding both globally and locally,” notes Van Slyke.

The U.S. News public affairs program rankings are based on a reputational survey of deans, directors and department chairs representing 285 master’s programs in public affairs and administration, with a response rate of 63.6 percent. The survey has been administered 11 times over 26 years; the Maxwell School has ranked #1 in every survey except one.

About the Maxwell School (@MaxwellSU)

The at Syracuse University is the nation’s top-ranked school for public affairs, having earned the No. 1 spot in the U.S. News ranking in nearly every survey year. The School offers highly regarded professional programs in public administration and international affairs as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees across the social sciences, policy studies and international relations; and it is home to focused on topical areas within public affairs. With campuses in Syracuse, New York, and Washington, D.C., and academic partnerships around the globe, the Maxwell network provides access to a world of opportunity.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an��undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic��, with a global footprint, and��, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit��.

This year’s camp, titled “Moving Beyond Activism to Good Public Policy:��Having a Voice at the Table,” will be held Friday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Dr. Paul and Natalie Strasser Legacy Room, Eggers Hall 220. The event is free and open to undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors across New York State by .

APPAM/Maxwell Public Policy Camp participants will:

• engage with students from across New York State, as well as Maxwell School faculty and alumni on public and social issues;
• learn about the skills that can transform social activism into good public policy;
• meet leaders who live and work in the policy field;
• explore the career possibilities gained by having a public policy and administration skill set; and
• leave excited about public policy as an academic, personal, and professional pathway.

Participants will leave armed with not only new knowledge and a network of fellow students sharing their public service/activist spirit but also a host of alumni and faculty contacts for continued advice and mentorship, as well as resources for next steps so they can be successful in achieving their public service goals.

“Having diverse perspectives at the policy table leads to better, more effective and inclusive public policy,” says Robert Bifulco, associate dean and chair of the Department of Public Administration and International Affairs.��“There continues to be a lack of trained policy professionals of color in leadership positions in the public policy community. We must work collectively to address this problem, and we are proud to partner with APPAM on this initiative.”

Please visit to register and for more information about deadlines and travel subsidies for qualified participants. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis until the venue reaches capacity.

Jeffrey Gonda

The award will be presented at the Maxwell School’s annual Graduate Convocation Ceremony on Friday, May 11, in Hendricks Chapel. As a new Moynihan Award winner, Gonda will be the featured speaker at Convocation.

The Moynihan Award was established in 1985 by its namesake, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who had once been a junior faculty member at Maxwell himself, prior to his celebrated career in the U.S. Senate. In creating the award, Moynihan described the crucial importance of retaining promising young faculty members, and funded the award to help Maxwell do so.

Gonda’s research focuses on the use of litigation campaigns by black communities to challenge racial discrimination. These campaigns culminated in the 1948 Supreme Court decision in Shelley v. Kraemer, studied by Gonda in his book “Unjust Deeds: The Restrictive Covenant Cases and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement” (University of North Carolina Press). In 2015, the Supreme Court Historical Society awarded him the coveted Hughes-Gossett Award, given to the best article published in the flagship Journal of Supreme Court History. Gonda received it for his “Litigating Racial Justice at the Grassroots: The Shelley Family, Black Realtors, and Shelley v. Kraemer (1948).”

“Almost from the moment he joined our faculty in fall 2012, Jeff electrified us with his energy, intellectual rigor, and passion for his field,” says Norman Kutcher, chair of history, who nominated Gonda for the Moynihan award. ��“We are deeply fortunate to have him in the history department and at Maxwell.”

“We’re proud to receive the recognition of our peers across so many categories of excellence—10 specialties ranked in the top 10—as we pursue our mission to provide the very best professional education for our students,” says David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. “The strength of Maxwell’s professional programs has always been in its flexibility and diversity, drawing not only on the breadth of expertise of its public administration and policy faculty but also its award-winning social science disciplinary scholars.”

In the Best Graduate School of Public Affairs category, Maxwell is ranked No. 2. The school has��consistently held the number one or number two spot since the rankings began in 1995.

Among specialty areas, Maxwell remains ranked No. 1 for Public Management and Leadership, and climbs to No. 2 in the areas of Nonprofit Management, Public Finance and Budgeting, and Information Technology and Management.

The range and versatility of Maxwell’s program is reflected also in its very strong standing among two new categories: the school ranks No. 5 in the area of International/Global Policy and No. 6 in the area of Local Government Management.

1�������������� Public Management and Leadership
2�������������� Nonprofit Management
2�������������� Public Finance and Budgeting
2�������������� Information Technology and Management
5�������������� International/Global Policy
6�������������� Local Government Management
7 ������������ Urban Policy
7�������������� Environmental Policy and Management
8�������������� Public Policy Analysis
9�������������� Social Policy
11���������� Health Policy and Management

“It’s gratifying to see the Maxwell School earn the high regard of its peers across the spectrum of specializations, especially in areas where the university is making strategic commitments, such as internationalization,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud.

The U.S. News public affairs program rankings are based on a reputational survey of deans, directors and department chairs representing 282 master’s programs in public affairs and administration, with a response rate of 49 percent.

About the Maxwell School (@MaxwellSU)

��is Syracuse University’s home for innovative, interdisciplinary teaching and research in the social sciences, public policy, public administration and international relations. It is consistently ranked among America’s top����(U.S. News & World Report), offering highly regarded����alongside advanced scholarly degrees in the social sciences; and it is also home to Syracuse University’s�� across the social sciences.

Maxwell scholars conduct wide-ranging research through��, each focused on a topical area within public affairs, such as governance, social and economic policy, conflict and collaboration, public wellness, aging, energy and environment, national security, regional studies and more. For more information, please visit .

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings, and an��undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic��, with a global footprint, and��, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit��.

“CCE was thrilled when AAC&U chose to include us as a case study,” says Anne Mosher, chair of the program and professor of geography. “As a collection, the cases highlight a shared commitment to bringing theories of citizenship into civic practice in some way. They also help us see clearly the value-added of being in the Maxwell School, where deliberative and participatory citizenship and our commitment to interdisciplinary evidence-based social science research shine.”

The case study provides an in-depth look into the CCE curriculum that centers on Maxwell’s signature, team-taught MAX courses and resulting Action Plan. It also explains the process that led to the development of the CCE major, the internal and external factors that influenced the process, evidence of impact and words of advice to those seeking departmental redesigns.

The CCE program itself is relatively new to the Maxwell School, though themes of citizenship and civic engagement have coursed throughout the school for more than 80 years. The program saw its first graduating class in May 2016. The CCE major culminates in the Civic Engagement Action Plan Workshop, where students select and analyze a real-world problem, develop an idea to address it, and work with decision makers from a government, nonprofit, or business organization to take action. Channeling civic engagement into real impact is the ultimate point.

Kate Canada, CCE program coordinator, says the experience was eye opening. “It was great to see the amazing work happening around the country and how our program, and our students, fit into a culture of civic and community engagement throughout the United States.” She adds, “it is easy to forget that we are part of a national movement to engage and education the next generation of leaders. Being a part of this exciting project will give our students and faculty an even great network to learn from and connect with across the country.”

Members of the 2018 Young African Leaders Initiative

The , the flagship program of the (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and local community engagement. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has brought 3,000 young leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaborations with U.S. professionals.�� The cohort of fellows hosted by the Maxwell School will be part of a larger group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 27 institutions across the United States this summer.

At the end of their institutes, these exceptional young leaders will meet ��in Washington, D.C., for the fifth annual Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where they will take part in networking and panel discussions with each other and U.S. leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Following the Summit, 100 fellows will participate in six weeks of professional development training at U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies and government agencies.

Working closely with the and its implementing partner, , host institutions will offer academic and leadership programs that will challenge, inspire and empower these inspiring young leaders from Africa.

Some highlights of the Maxwell School program will include:

• Fellows will connect with city, county and state leaders through site visits (including a trip to Albany for a tour of the State Capitol).
• Fellows will give back to the community through service opportunities at the Salvation Army, the Central New York Community Foundation and the Samaritan Center.
• Fellows will make off-site visits to New York City and Niagara Falls.

For additional information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship Institute at the Maxwell School, please contact Ronda Garlow at 315.443.5612.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program of the U.S. Department of State and administered by IREX.�� For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit /mwf and join the conversation at #YALI2018.