Maxwell School News and Commentary
Will Work For Food: Labor Across the Food Chain
Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, associate professor of geography and the environment, has co-written a new book, Will Work For Food: Labor Across the Food Chain (University of California Press, 2025). Minkoff-Zern and co-author Teresa Mares explore the often-overlooked role of labor in the food system, highlighting the exploitation faced by frontline workers from farms to restaurants.
See related: Agriculture, Federal, Labor, Rural Issues, United States
Testing for Spatial Lag Dependence and Homoskedasticity in a Random Effects Panel Data Model
See related: Research Methods, United States
AI Boost or Bust? Johannes Himmelreich
Maxwell School professor examines the philosophy and ethics of data science and artificial intelligence.
See related: Autonomous Systems, Data Privacy, Ethics, Government
Pralle Featured in Associated Press, NY Times Articles on FEMA Flood Map Exemptions for Camp Mystic
“It’s a mystery to me why they [Camp Mystic] weren’t taking proactive steps to move structures away from the risk, let alone challenging what seems like a very reasonable map that shows these structures were in the 100-year flood zone,” says Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science.
See related: Federal, Flood Insurance, Natural Disasters, United States
Robert Rubinstein Honored With 2025 Wasserstrom Prize for Graduate Teaching
The award recognizes a faculty member who has an important impact on students and a special interest in the graduate seminar.
See related: Awards & Honors
Monarch Discusses the Dollar and Interest Rates With Newsweek
“Recent policies such as extremely high tariffs, increased government debt, and worries about inflation have all contributed to the falling dollar,” says Ryan Monarch, associate professor of economics.
See related: Federal, International Affairs, Labor, Tariffs, United States
Four Maxwell Professors Named O’Hanley Faculty Scholars
Brian Brege, Sarah Hamersma, Yüksel Sezgin and Ying Shi will hold the title for three years.
See related: Awards & Honors, Giving, Promotions & Appointments
Silverstein Quoted in The Atlantic Article on Great Grandparents
Merril Silverstein, professor and chair of sociology, says that because today’s grandparents are so involved with family life on the whole, both logistically and emotionally, we might expect that great-grandparents will keep becoming more tied in as well.
See related: Aging, Child & Elder Care, United States
Haowei Wang Named Maxwell School Scholar in US-China/Asia Relations
The position was created with a gift by Syracuse University alumni Yang Ni and Xiaoqing Li to strengthen connections between Maxwell faculty and scholars in China and Asia.
See related: Aging, China, East Asia, Giving, Longevity, Promotions & Appointments, United States
Philanthropy Driven by Passion, Potential and Purpose: Ken Pontarelli ’92
Pontarelli ’92 B.S. (Econ) credits the University for changing his life, opening up opportunities to pursue his passions and achieve professional success that allows him to focus on the public good. In return, he and his wife, Tracey, are paying it forward by supporting Syracuse students pursuing meaningful careers in the vital field of sustainability.
See related: Giving