“The Chinese meanwhile are incredibly pragmatic, and they’ll certainly consider the possibility that the impeachment inquiry is having an effect. They’ll see the president as weakened. That will matter," says Professor of Economics Mary Lovely.

Osama Khalil, associate professor of history, discusses the current state of U.S.-Iran relations, arguing that the U.S.'s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal has made it more difficult to achieve a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict between the two countries.

"We can see that service jobs are put at risk when President Trump launches a trade war," says Professor of Economics Mary Lovely. "Many service jobs depend on trade, not just because we export services directly but also because services go into export production."

Saba Siddiki, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, has been awarded two grants for projects beginning this fall. One will support the work of the Institutional Grammar Research Initiative and the other is for project work on urban food action plans to advance human well-being and health, environment, and equity goals.

Grant Reeher, professor of political science, says the whistle-blower revelations aren’t really telling people anything they didn’t already know about President Trump. "How many times,” Reeher says, "can you regenerate the outrage?"

 “To be a Tillman Scholar means I get to be a part of an outstanding network of some of the best and brightest future leaders in the country," says E.M.P.A.student Katy Quartaro, after being named a 2019 Tillman Scholar.

The Maxwell School’s Tenth Decade Project provides seed funding for worthy scholarly projects that have the potential to produce significant external research funding and high-impact publications. Since it was created, the Tenth Decade Project has attracted nearly $850,000 in gifts from 267 individual donors, including a lead gift from long-time Maxwell supporters Gerry and Daphna Cramer.

"One of the risks for Democrats in 2020— specially at the presidential level—is that the impeachment process will suck up all the oxygen that otherwise might have been available to make the affirmative case for election," says Professor of Political Science Grant Reeher.

"If the allegations are true, the abuse of power is significant, and many members of Congress will be motivated to conduct impeachment proceedings," says William Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs.

"It’s damning by any account just for the mere fact that he asked a foreign leader to investigate private citizens for potential personal political gain is egregious," says Christopher Faricy, associate professor of political science. "The question, what else is out there that we are not aware of, either with the Ukranian President or even other countries and leaders."

"The more moderate Democrats are recalculating, thinking they have to get on board with this [President Trump's impeachment] or face primaries" from left-leaning insurgents, says Professor of Political Science Grant Reeher. "The facts have also changed" since the Russia investigation, he adds.

Prior to joining the faculty at Virginia Tech, Stephanie Smith '09 Ph.D. (PA) was an associate professor at the University of New Mexico. She has also worked in the nonprofit sector in San Francisco and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Vladivostok, Russia, prior to her return to academia.

Jode Millman ’76 B.A. (Soc) has released a thriller novel titled "The Midnight Call." Millman currently co-hosts and co-produces the Backstage with the Bardavon podcast, a series that invites listeners backstage for conversations with musicians and other performers. When not writing, Millman has worked as a lawyer specializing in copyright, trademark, matrimonial and real estate law.