"Of all the problems to have, having the whole Albany culture of corruption attached to him [Cuomo]—and it will be attached to him—is one of the worst problems to have," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute.

"The prevalence of disappearances stands as a testament to Mexico as a captured state, where organized criminal networks have hijacked government institutions and where officially-sanctioned practices that emerged out of the 1970s become routine," writes Gladys McCormick, associate professor of history and Jay and Debe Moskowitz Endowed Chair in Mexico-U.S. Relations.

Peter Wilcoxen, professor of public administration and international affairs, will serve as the inaugural Ajello Professor in Energy and Environmental Policy. The professorship was created from a $250,000 gift from Maxwell School alumnus James Ajello ’76 M.P.A.

"It’s important to realise the change process had a large amount of contention involved—both with the direction of travel under the global transition plan and how it was implemented from a change leadership point of view. This was both a politically sensitive and high emotion change process—therefore our assessment of it was too," says Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken, director of the Transnational NGO Initiative, in evaluation of Amnesty International's effectiveness of their change management efforts.

Dimitar Gueorguiev, assistant professor of political science, and his co-author argue that the Chinese National Supervision Commission will affect economic and business activity in the country, may have long-term repercussions for Chinese citizens, and could also undercut existing anti-corruption initiatives. 

"Economic decline is certainly an important factor, but our drug, alcohol and suicide problem is also related to social decline," says Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion. "We live in an era of individualism, disinvestment in social safety nets, declines in social cohesion, and increased loneliness." 

Dina Eldawy, an international relations and citizenship and civic engagement major, and Crystal Letona, a policy studies major, are finalists for the Truman Scholarship, which recognizes students for their community service, academic accomplishment, and commitment to a career of public service. “Dina and Crystal are extraordinary students and activists who are passionate about public service,” says Jolynn Parker, director of  Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising.

In a day-long series of lectures and panels, Tanner Day provided a public forum where experts reflected on many of the challenges facing citizenship today.

"With recent investments in higher education (mis)directed toward increasing the marginal comforts of the most comfortable students, we have an opportunity to advocate instead for a rejection of such investments, sacrificing luxuries for the sake of needier students," says Sarah Hamersma, associate professor of public administration and international affairs.

If the decision by Dick's to increase gun control measures "can help move us in the direction of recognizing that there is a problem with the current system and that we've got to start getting serious about addressing it, then that's a positive, whatever the motivation Dick's may have," says Dana Radcliffe, adjunct professor of public administration and international affairs.

"If...Dana Balter is hammering away at the idea that the 24th could play a role in flipping the House of Representatives, it may be harder for him [incumbent John Katko]," says Grant Reeher, professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. "But he comes in with a lot of advantages, particularly if we look back at past elections."

"We won’t really know the effect of the tax plan for several years when we have data that we can try to measure the effect of the tax plan separate from other factors going on in the economy at the same time," says Len Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics.

"If the facts are read, the FBI was balanced in making its request to the FISA court, as they always have been," says Professor Emeritus William C. Banks.