full-time faculty teaching and conducting research in political science
of Maxwell faculty conduct research focused outside of the U.S.
graduate students in residence; fewer than 12 admitted each year
Undergraduate Studies
Graduate Studies
I am Maxwell.
Civic engagement is a core value for me. I have always aspired to help the communities I’m from.” Mazaher Kaila, a Maxwell alumna and third-year student at Syracuse University's College of Law, moved with her family from Sudan to Central New York when she was four years old. “I realized that to make meaningful change in society, I needed to understand the systems that power it—government and politics—and that’s insight I would gain by studying political science.”
Mazaher Kaila ’19, L’22
political science, law
In Memoriam: Roland Droitsch, Devoted Public Servant, Champion of Education
June 12, 2024
Roland Droitsch ’65 M.A. (PSc) emigrated to the U.S. from war-torn Germany when he was a young boy in January 1947. His mother boarded the S.S. Drottninholm with him and his sister, Ingrid, to seek refuge from World War II. German immigrants weren’t often met with kindness stateside at the time, but the family found support from a New York family that set an example of compassion, generosity and service.
In a 2022 interview for National Public Radio’s StoryCorps, Droitsch, then 81, told his daughter Danielle that the family’s caring and insistence that he continue his education, was a “huge page turner” in his life, inspiring a distinguished career in public service. “I wanted to give back,” he said in the interview, archived with the Library of Congress. “I started having a job at a bank. That certainly showed me that wasn’t a place for me. I wanted a place where I could help other people. That’s when I joined the government.”
Droitsch, who served as the deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Labor, passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Jan. 26, 2024. He was 82. His life was defined by resilience, warmheartedness and a steadfast dedication to family and career. After earning a master’s degree from the Maxwell School, he received a doctorate from Georgetown University. His government roles included service at the Office of the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations and at the Policy Planning Office of the Cost of Living Council. He joined the Department of Labor under then-Secretary John Dunlop in 1975.
Over the years, his dedication and leadership earned recognition, including the Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive in 1988 and the Philip Arnow Award, the highest honor presented to Department of Labor staff.
His passion for education was evident in collaborations between the Department of Labor and community colleges, the military, nonprofits and academia.
Published in the Spring 2024 issue of the Maxwell Perspective
Related News
School News
Jun 12, 2024
BaoBao Zhang Joins First Cohort of AI2050 Early Career Fellows
One of only 15 scholars chosen from across the U.S., Zhang will receive up to $200,000 in research funding over the next two years. Zhang will use the funding to partner with the nonprofit, non-partisan Center for New Democratic Processes to test whether public participation in AI governance is increased through the creation of public assemblies, known as “deliberative democracy workshops.”
Baobao Zhang
Assistant Professor, Political Science Department
In Memoriam: Roland Droitsch, Devoted Public Servant, Champion of Education
June 12, 2024
Roland Droitsch ’65 M.A. (PSc) emigrated to the U.S. from war-torn Germany when he was a young boy in January 1947. His mother boarded the S.S. Drottninholm with him and his sister, Ingrid, to seek refuge from World War II. German immigrants weren’t often met with kindness stateside at the time, but the family found support from a New York family that set an example of compassion, generosity and service.
In a 2022 interview for National Public Radio’s StoryCorps, Droitsch, then 81, told his daughter Danielle that the family’s caring and insistence that he continue his education, was a “huge page turner” in his life, inspiring a distinguished career in public service. “I wanted to give back,” he said in the interview, archived with the Library of Congress. “I started having a job at a bank. That certainly showed me that wasn’t a place for me. I wanted a place where I could help other people. That’s when I joined the government.”
Droitsch, who served as the deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Labor, passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Jan. 26, 2024. He was 82. His life was defined by resilience, warmheartedness and a steadfast dedication to family and career. After earning a master’s degree from the Maxwell School, he received a doctorate from Georgetown University. His government roles included service at the Office of the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations and at the Policy Planning Office of the Cost of Living Council. He joined the Department of Labor under then-Secretary John Dunlop in 1975.
Over the years, his dedication and leadership earned recognition, including the Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive in 1988 and the Philip Arnow Award, the highest honor presented to Department of Labor staff.
His passion for education was evident in collaborations between the Department of Labor and community colleges, the military, nonprofits and academia.
Published in the Spring 2024 issue of the Maxwell Perspective
Related News
School News
Jun 12, 2024