Maxwell School News and Commentary

“The Otey and Barbara Scruggs scholarship is a fitting tribute to a treasured member of the History Department and his wife,” said Associate Professor and Chair of History Norman Kutcher. “Otey cared deeply about the University generally and the History Department especially. Graduate education grew substantially in strength and numbers under his leadership, so it is fitting that this scholarship will benefit our most deserving graduate students.”

The SoldierStrong scholarship program supports U.S. military veterans wishing to pursue higher education opportunities as civilians upon their return from service abroad. Maxwell graduate students Mitch Forbes and Chris Tonsmeire, both U.S. military veterans, have been named as this year’s SoldierStrong scholars.

The Public Policy and International Affairs Program is a seven week summer fellowship that promotes the inclusion of underrepresented groups in public service and advances their leadership roles throughout civic institutions. “This experience reaffirmed my intention to pursue a graduate degree in public affairs. More importantly, I learned how I could combine my passion for public policy and science in graduate school,” says Chizobam Nwagwu ’18, who recently completed the fellowship.

"I am interested in community organizing, particularly around issues such as incarceration, housing segregation, juvenile justice and police accountability. I imagine that my future career would pertain to one of those areas," says Marcus Lane Jr., a junior policy studies major. Marcus is one of four students across the country engaged in the Montgomery Fellowship at the American Bar Foundation.

“This year’s SU Fulbright awardees were exceptionally qualified as strong students and researchers, but most of all through their engagement in community activism while at SU. Their experiences, often with Syracuse’s refugee communities or local schools, were evidence of their commitment to language and education,” says Susan Wadley, Ford Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies.

"The amount of experience that I gained as a policy studies major is monumental. The head of the department, Professor Bill Coplin, gives students numerous professional and academic opportunities to prepare us for life after college," says Dante Moss, a junior policy studies and political science dual major, about his experience at Syracuse.

The annual statewide New York Business Plan Competition offers the largest prizes of any student business competition in the world—a total of $160,000 was awarded at this year’s competition.