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Gadarian’s ‘Pandemic Politics’ Named a Foreign Affairs Best Book of 2023

The associate dean’s research for the book was supported by a prestigious Carnegie Fellowship. 

January 5, 2024

Landes Comments on US Census Bureau Changes to Questions About Disabilities in AP Article

The bureau has spent time, money and energy trying to improve counts of racial and ethnic minorities who have been historically undercounted, but the statistical agency seems willing to adapt questions that will shortchange the numbers of people with disabilities, says Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology.

December 8, 2023

Punch Quoted in BBC News Article on the Fentanyl Crisis in the US

Limiting supply of the drug alone will not solve the crisis, says Alexandra Punch, director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health. "What we're looking to solve is the mortality issue," she says. "I don't think we're going to solve the demand issue, because people are just going to find something different to use."

November 30, 2023

New Lerner Gift Amplifies the Impact of Healthy Mondays and Public Health Initiatives

A new $2.52 million gift to the Lerner Center and the Forever Orange Campaign from Helaine Lerner will help amplify the impact of the center’s work to educate, inspire and empower a new generation of advocates for public health.

November 29, 2023

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Landes Comments on US Census Bureau Changes to Survey Question About Disability in Science Article

“Disabled people are already underserved,” says Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology. Altering the way the Census Bureau gathers disability statistics, he argues, will generate “inaccurate information.”

November 18, 2023

Punch Quoted in Albany Times Union Article on Federal Lawsuits Against Meta

“Social media works a lot like any other type of addictive drug,” says Alexandra Punch, director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health. “When you utilize these services, it triggers dopamine responses and serotonin responses in the brain, so it also increases your craving for more of that same thing.”

November 4, 2023

Montez Cited in Washington Post Article on the Impact of States’ Policies on Life Expectancy

The differences in state policies directly correlate to those years lost, said Jennifer Karas Montez, director of the Center for Aging and Policy Studies and author of several papers that describe the connection between politics and life expectancy.

October 17, 2023

Gadarian Speaks With NBC News About Speculation of Additional Attacks in US Like Those in Israel

It’s human nature to seek out information about additional threats in the days after an attack like the ones in Israel, so that people can avoid risk and reduce their anxiety, says Shana Gadarian, professor and chair of political science . But many of the social media posts circulating this week aren’t helpful, she says, because they don’t include a specific solution. 

October 13, 2023

Maxwell Sociologists Honored and Elected to Leadership Positions at ASA Annual Meeting

Prema Kurien and Janet M. Wilmoth received awards, and several faculty colleagues were elected to roles in the American Sociological Association. 

October 4, 2023

Maxwell Sociologists Receive $1.8 Million From the NIA to Study Midlife Health and Mortality

The research team led by Jennifer Karas Montez and Shannon Monnat hopes to better understand how state policies and local economic conditions impact health and mortality rates.

September 21, 2023

Lerner Center and Maxwell X Lab Join Sheriff’s Office to Reduce Illicit Drugs’ Impact

Supported by a $1.2 million federal grant, they will evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and recovery services for those who’ve been incarcerated.

September 15, 2023

Maxwell School Announces Recent Faculty Additions

The Maxwell School welcomes 16 new faculty members for the 2023-2024 academic year.
August 31, 2023

Shana Kushner Gadarian Named Maxwell School’s Associate Dean for Research

In her new role, Gadarian will help students and faculty develop their research projects and secure funding to advance scholarly pursuits.

August 29, 2023

Gadarian Quoted in Christian Science Monitor Article on Trump’s Indictment Over 2020 Election

“These indictments aren’t endearing independents to Trump,” says Shana Gadarian, professor and chair of political science, noting that in the last election, independents were key to Mr. Biden’s victory in pivotal battleground states. 

August 8, 2023

RIDGE Partnership Grant Supports Maternity Health Research

Associate Professor Sarah Hamersma and graduate student Mitch McFarlane will use the $75,000 grant to investigate the impacts of SNAP food assistance on maternal and infant health.

July 12, 2023

Gadarian Speaks to France 24 About Trump and the 2024 Presidential Race

"DeSantis would most benefit from Trump dropping out of the race but he seems to have calculated that they have many of the same potential voters so doesn't want to alienate them," says Shana Gadarian, professor and chair of political science.

June 12, 2023

Harrington Meyer Quoted in Bloomberg Article on Grandparents and the Childcare Crisis

“For a lot of families, grandparent care is the gold standard,” says University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer, who notes that grandparents are often far more flexible than other childminders; they’ll watch your kid for free, for long or short periods of time, on little notice. They will even do it when your child is sick. 

June 9, 2023

Gadarian Speaks with WBUR About the Politicization of COVID-19 and Its Impact on Democracy

“It turns out that partisanship just swamped everything else as early as March of 2020," says Shana Gadarian, professor and chair of political science. 

May 26, 2023

Madonna Harrington Meyer Reappointed as University Professor

In recognition of exceptional scholarship and innovative academic and professional activities, Madonna Harrington Meyer has been reappointed to a four-year term as University Professors, one of the highest honors the University bestows on faculty members. 

May 15, 2023

Montez Quoted in Boston Globe Article on Life Expectancy and Where People Live

In one study, University Professor Jennifer Karas Montez and other researchers found that, if every state simply implemented the same policy environment as Connecticut, “The U.S. would increase its life expectancy by roughly two years,” she says. “That is a massive increase.”

April 24, 2023

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Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health