Maxwell School News and Commentary
Filtered by: Geography & the Environment Department
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
Huber Weighs In on NY Gov. Hochul’s Plans to Build a Nuclear Power Plant in Spectrum News Article
“It's no secret that nuclear has been known for being very costly,” says Matt Huber, professor of geography and the environment. But he believes that if a project is to move forward, a public one like what New York State is proposing is the way to go.
See related: Energy, New York State, State & Local
Rose Tardiff: Sparking Innovation With Data, Mapping and More
As the City of Syracuse’s director of neighborhood and business data and evaluation, the Maxwell alumna taps skills she learned in Maxwell’s geography program.
See related: Alumni Experience, Student Experience
Koch Talks to franceinfo About Gulf Sports
“Apart from during the 2022 World Cup, you haven't seen massive ‘Visit Qatar’ campaigns. The country doesn't need to attract tourists, its 200,000 citizens are wealthy and all the infrastructure already exists,” says Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment. “It's very different from Saudi Arabia where a large part of the population suffers from poverty.”
See related: Government, International Affairs, Middle East & North Africa
Offen Quoted in Politico Article on Trump’s Obsession With Maps
It’s a political tactic that has lasted as long as maps have, according to Karl Offen, professor of geography and the environment. “Maps and politics have been wedded from day one,” Offen says. “To name is to claim.”
See related: Federal, Foreign Policy, International Affairs, Maps, United States
Sultana Article on Building Democracy in Bangladesh Published in LA Progressive
“In a region where democratic backsliding has often been normalized, Bangladesh is attempting a rare and ambitious path forward. But reforms – no matter how visionary – face real resistance from entrenched interests and are fraught with obstacles, both internal and external, that threaten to derail Bangladesh’s progress,” writes Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment.
See related: Conflict, Government, International Affairs, South Asia
Timur Hammond’s ‘Placing Islam’ Receives Journal’s Honorable Mention
The 2025 International Journal of Islamic Architecture lauded the book for its “evocative storytelling.”
See related: Awards & Honors, Middle East & North Africa, Religion
Sultana Weighs In on the Suspension of the Indus River Waters Treaty in DW News Article
India's move to use the Indus Waters Treaty as geopolitical leverage “undermines the legal integrity of such treaties,” says Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment. ”These treaty violations and suspensions can have ripple-on deleterious (harmful) effects across and beyond the region for the examples they set,” she says.
See related: Government, International Affairs, International Agreements, South Asia, Water
Memorial Fund Honors Remarkable Journalism Career, Supports Students Involved with IDJC
The siblings of alumna Denise Kalette ’68 B.A. (PSc) have created a memorial fund in her honor to support students engaged with the University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship.
See related: Academic Scholarships, Alumni Experience, Awards & Honors, Giving, Student Experience
Mapping His Future: Maxwell Student Will Burke Addresses Lead Poisoning in Syracuse
William Burke ’25 B.A. (Geog/ESP) creates digital maps to identify areas at risk for childhood lead poisoning in the City of Syracuse. His research is funded by a SOURCE Bridge Award, supporting faculty-led undergraduate research at Syracuse University.
See related: Children, Adolescents, Grant Awards, Maps, New York State, Student Experience