Maxwell School News and Commentary

Jeremy Ames ’04 M.P.A. is the new director of the Division of Communications in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Regulatory Affairs, which leads FDA field activities, inspecting regulated products and manufacturers, analyzing samples of regulated products, and reviewing products imported into the United States.

Scott Rayder ’92 M.P.A. is the new executive director of the Alabama Water Institute (AWI), based at the University of Alabama. As executive director, Rayder will facilitate collaboration with the National Water Center, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration center located on the University of Alabama campus. 

All Robertson fellows at Maxwell receive funding for two years of study, allowing them to pursue one of the joint degrees offered through Public Administration and International Affairs; the grants cover not only full tuition, but a living stipend, health insurance, and assistance in finding a summer internship. All four of this year’s incoming fellows will pursue the joint M.P.A./M.A.I.R. degree.

Melaine Rottkamp ’91 B.A. (PSc) is the new president and CEO of Dutchess Tourism. As president, she will manage Dutchess Tourism’s branding, advertising and marketing efforts, and various business support and education programs.

After serving as its director or co-director since 2005, Catherine Gerard has stepped down from her leadership role at the Maxwell School’s renowned Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC), effective July 1, 2020. Gerard will continue as an adjunct professor of public administration and associate director for the Executive Education Programs at Maxwell, and also continue her work as co-director of the Collaborative Governance Initiative at PARCC. 

Alumnus Dominick Cademartori ’52 B.A. (Econ) left a $30,000 gift to Maxwell School for undergraduate students majoring in history or economics in his will, which is intended to extend the legacy of his own studies as a first-generation American and first-generation college student for whom college was nearly discontinued owing to financial hardship.

Dave Levinthal '02 B.A. (PPhil) previously spent seven and a half years at the Center for Public Integrity, as an editor and senior reporter focused largely on federal politics.