Zoe Tatum Best, a rising senior majoring in political science, is the recipient of this year’s Matthew Ross Wanetik Memorial Scholarship, which honors the life of a Maxwell School student who passed away from an undetected heart ailment while studying abroad in 2008. 

Latest cohort of graduates receive degrees as Maxwell celebrates its centennial. 

Born on July 30, 1924, she was just three months old when the school was founded by entrepreneur George H. Maxwell. Some 18 years later, Rudolph—whose maiden name is Millinger—left her home in New York to attend the school, which fostered her lifelong interest in world affairs, politics and government.

“Racial-Ethnic Gaps in Pandemic-Related Economic Hardship: Age Differences among Older Adults,” co-authored by Emily Wiemers, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, was published in Journals of Gerontology: Series B.

The late professor was instrumental in shaping citizenship curriculum and impacted thousands of students in his more than 40 years on the faculty. 

Marguerite J. Fisher was a revered teacher known for her international scholarship and activism for domestic social issues. 

“As a candidate, she’s not someone who’s really made an effort to go to the center. She’s really tied more to the Trump style of right-wing politics," says Steven White, associate professor of political science. "My sense is this kind of thing helps her appeal to a certain part of the base maybe, but probably is not great for swing voters.”

“When she [Claudia Sheinbaum] comes in, she is inheriting this mess, but she doesn’t necessarily have the charisma that (López Obrador) does,” says Gladys McCormick, Jay and Debe Moskowitz Endowed Chair in Mexico-U.S. Relations. “So it’s going to be a tall ask.”

The Maxwell School has evolved to meet the needs of an increasingly interconnected world while continuing its focus on citizenship. 

Though this fire is nearly contained, in general, fire burns hotter when the weather is hotter, says Jacob Bendix, professor emeritus of geography and the environment. He adds that drought contributes to dangerous fire seasons, but paradoxically, wetter years can too.

The educational and research resource will create “new, urgently needed, accessible opportunities for the humanities to speak to public health and broaden access to humanities higher learning opportunities,” says Professor Amy Fairchild, who is principal investigator (PI).

Dean David M. Van Slyke writes to alumni about Maxwell's 100th anniversary and our commitment to engaged citizenship.

Doris “Dottie” Payson ’57 passed away on Feb. 12, 2024, at the age of 87. She served on the Maxwell Advisory Board from 1998 to 2013 and was a life member of the University’s Board of Trustees, which she joined in 2000.

Ralph Hockley ’49 B.A. (RusSt) passed away on Nov. 8, 2023. He was 98. He fought valiantly to defend the U.S. and other allied countries against Nazis and threats to democracy through two wars and beyond. 

Roland Droitsch ’65 M.A. (PSc), 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.

Nimisha Thakur is one of 22 scholars in the United States to receive the award, which the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation calls the largest and most prestigious award for Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and social sciences addressing questions of ethical and religious values.

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, says that the authorization given by the U.S. and Germany to Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil with weapons they supply could have an impact on the balance of power on Ukrainian territory.

The Maxwell School assistant professor will conduct two studies on school victimization and hate crimes toward Asian American and Pacific Islander students.