Considering that the Maxwell School was designed from the start to engage with civic issues and public policy, it’s no surprise that the School has been politically active throughout its history — and scrutinized and criticized for its perceived political leanings.

Syracuse University opened its new School of Citizenship and Public Affairs on October 3, 1924, headquartered in Slocum Hall and not yet named for its then-anonymous donor . . .

Universities traditionally aim “to train minds and to strengthen character” and “to transmit the accumulated learning and culture of ages on to each rising generation,” said  former president Herbert Hoover, at the dedication of Maxwell Hall. "This institution especially has led in endeavor to lift public administration to a profession,” he added.

“He wasn’t just teaching the theoretical aspect of the course but empowering you with skills you need if you were to start working in a development agency,” says Odunayo Arowolo ’13 M.A. (IR/Econ), about the course taught by Bob Christen, professor of practice. “He wants you to be able to hit the ground running.”

Syracuse’s new Institute for Veterans and Military Families considers the impact of service on soldiers and on the people around them.

The new professorship, a joint appointment in sociology and social work, recognizes the scholarship of Marjorie Cantor, which advanced understanding of the lifestyles of older persons, care-giver support systems, and the needs of elders across class and culture.

New series will explore ethics, citizenship, and public responsibility.

Historical archaeologists Doug Armstrong and Theresa Singleton moved into new, state-of-the-art labs down the hall in Lyman, with expanded and upgraded space for research and teaching.

Responding to trends in the world and in the workplace, Maxwell forges stronger ties between public administration and international relations.

A think tank’s interest in domestic terrorism drove two MPA research projects, each showing how, on American soil, Islamist extremism is only part of the picture.

In a major NSF study, Maxwell geographers help rural Guyanese assess the true worth of the land on which they depend.

Maxwell’s new research center was founded by Syracuse University alumnus, ad man, and later-life fitness enthusiast Sid Lerner, who views good health as a product of good policy, enhanced with good PR.

At a time when citizens are perhaps more aware of economic issues than ever, Syracuse University is establishing an endowed faculty chair at Maxwell to nurture an interdisciplinary understanding of economic forces in public affairs. The chair honors former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker.

The study of gerontology at Syracuse — including research done in Maxwell’s Center for Policy Research — has gotten a boost with a new Aging Studies Institute and a named professorship. Already prominent, SU’s gerontological programs are poised for growth and greater recognition.

The Maxwell School has attracted a new national fellowship program that promotes careers in the federal government.

When the Near East Foundation searched for a collegiate home, they found eager partners in Syracuse University — and, especially, in Maxwell and the Middle Eastern Studies Program.

Before there was an “NGO sector,” young people who wanted to go overseas and change lives joined the Peace Corps. They still do. Among hundreds of alumni who served in the Corps, we reached out to these seven to see how the experience nourished their public-service psyche and connected to their Maxwell education.