Maxwell School News and Commentary

“This year’s SU Fulbright awardees were exceptionally qualified as strong students and researchers, but most of all through their engagement in community activism while at SU. Their experiences, often with Syracuse’s refugee communities or local schools, were evidence of their commitment to language and education,” says Susan Wadley, Ford Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies.

Ana Monzon, a graduate student in public relations and international relations, Jade Rhoads, a junior majoring in geography and Russian language and literature, and Giovanna Saccoccio, a junior majoring in public relations and international relations all received the U.S. Department of State's Critical Language Scholarship to study Bahasa Indonesian, Russian, and Turkish, respectively.

"The amount of experience that I gained as a policy studies major is monumental. The head of the department, Professor Bill Coplin, gives students numerous professional and academic opportunities to prepare us for life after college," says Dante Moss, a junior policy studies and political science dual major, about his experience at Syracuse.

Jessie Speer, a Ph.D. candidate in geography, received the fellowship, which supports a year of research and writing to help advanced graduate students in the humanities and social sciences in the last year of Ph.D. dissertation writing.

Maizy Ludden, a sophomore majoring in geography, has been named a 2017 Goldwater Scholar. The scholarship is meant to encourage students who intend to pursue research careers in science, mathematics, and engineering.

The Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award, which honors faculty who have a significant, positive influence on graduate education at Syracuse University, was awarded to Azra Hromadžić, assistant professor of anthropology, and Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn, professor of history.

The annual statewide New York Business Plan Competition offers the largest prizes of any student business competition in the world—a total of $160,000 was awarded at this year’s competition.

Geography students Jade Rhoads and Maizy Ludden were named Udall Scholars. The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. 

During his formal talk with the Maxwell community, Secretary General Luis Almagro Lemes of the Organization of American States spoke of his commitment to the study of public administration and international relations, noting that democracy "demands good governance and strong institutions."