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Features August 05, 2015
Policymakers of Tomorrow
In mid-June, 29 rising college seniors cut their summer breaks short and set up shop at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The undergraduates in this year’s Junior Summer Institute (JSI) class hailed from 24 U.S. colleges and universities, representing 16 states and 14 majors. The seven-week program prepares students for graduate study and careers in public policy and international affairs. Students are admitted to JSI based on a demonstrated commitment to public service and multicultural social issues. “This year’s JSI students are exceptionally motivated to bring about change and serve others in the…
Features August 03, 2015
Global Vaccine-Development Fund Could Save Thousands of Lives, Billions of Dollars
Ebola is a preventable disease, and yet a safe and effective vaccine has not been deployed. As with many vaccines, financial barriers persist: pharmaceutical companies see high costs with limited market potential, and government support is lacking.But there may be a solution to this vaccine crisis with the ability to save at-risk populations, according to a perspective piece written by physicians based at Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania and the Wellcome Trust.The article, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, proposes the creation of a $2 billion global vaccine-development fund – supported by governments, foundations and…
Features August 03, 2015
WWS Reacts: What Does the New Ebola Vaccine Mean for Global Health?
A new Ebola vaccine has shown to be 100 percent effective in phase three trials, according to an article in The Lancet. Developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the vaccine has been administered to nearly 8,000 people in Guinea since March 2015. The vaccine has been licensed to Merck and NewLink Genetics, and a supply will likely be produced within a couple of weeks. We discussed the vaccine, its development and what it means for global health with Princeton University's Adel Mahmoud, lecturer with the rank of professor in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and retired president of Merck Vaccines. Mahmoud is a…
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs logo on a grey background.
Features July 29, 2015
Medicare and Medicaid Myths: Setting the 50-Year Record Straight
Over the past half-century, Medicare and Medicaid have become bedrocks of the U.S. health care system, together providing insurance coverage for more than 100 million people. Yet, these programs remain controversial, a battleground between those opponents who perceive them to be costly, "big government" programs and supporters who see them as essential to the nation's commitment to safeguard the most vulnerable among us. Not surprisingly, many myths have emerged in the highly politicized debate about these policies. The 50th anniversary of both programs on July 30 offers a chance to set some of the record straight.Myth 1: Medicaid originated as a…
Features July 16, 2015
WWS Reacts: Iran Nuclear Deal
On July 14, 2015, an agreement was signed by Iran and the P5+1, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China, France, Russia, the U.S. and the U.K., plus Germany. The final Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached after 20 months of negotiating the limiting of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. The announcement was both praised and denounced by officials in the U.S. and across the globe, including U.S. allies in the Middle East. We discussed the agreement and its political and historical significance with two scholars at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs:…
Features July 13, 2015
WooCast: Are Doctors Choosing the Best Treatment for Heart Attacks?
When someone has a heart attack, he or she is immediately rushed to the emergency room. At that point, the doctor has to make a choice: either treat the patient with clot-busting drugs or perform invasive surgery. But how do doctors decide which procedure is best? Do they rely on what's worked in the past, or do they choose based on the individual patient? How do these decisions influence patient outcomes? Janet Currie, Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and chair of the Department of Economics, wanted to answer these questions. She discusses her findings on this episode of WooCast…
Features July 09, 2015
WWS Reacts: What's Next for Greece?
Suffocating from colossal debt, Greece has until the end of July 9 to secure a third bailout from creditors. Otherwise, the country may consider a swift exit from the eurozone, a move that could significantly damage the global community. We discussed the Greek debt crisis – and what lies ahead – with Ashoka Mody, Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor in International Economic Policy at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Mody previously served as director for the International Monetary Fund's Research and European Departments. He also held several management positions at the World Bank. Q. The…
Features July 09, 2015
MPA Alumni Honored for Social Entrepreneurship in Community-Shared Solar Power
Eighty percent of Americans do not have access to solar power, leaving them with higher energy bills and larger carbon footprints. Steve Moilanen MPA ’14 and Steph Speirs MPA ’14 have endeavored to unlock the market for those households through Solstice Initiative. Their cofounded organization uses a “community solar” design, providing households with the opportunity to purchase solar power without installing solar panels on their roofs. Moilanen, CEO, and Speirs, president, were recently awarded Echoing Green fellowships for their innovation and their organization's promising social impact. The global nonprofit supports young entrepreneurs on their…
Features July 02, 2015
From Crisis to Progress
Half of the 220,000 people killed in the Syrian civil war have been civilians. Untargeted barrel bombings have crumbled cities and diminished basic resources like food and water. Many children have been out of school for four years. Those who have survived the attacks suffer with injuries and have no access to medical care.Within the country, 7.6 million people have been displaced. Another 4 million have made the life-threatening trek into neighboring countries – Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt – making this the worst refugee crisis since the Rwandan genocide two decades ago.Watching the Syrian tragedy unfold in real time, Jeremy Barnicle, MPA…
Features June 29, 2015
WWS Reacts: Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is a legal right across the country, a historic moment in the court's 226-year history. The 5-4 vote means the 14 states banning same-sex marriage can no longer enforce these bans. Justice Anthony Kennedy was the central swing vote in the case and wrote the majority opinion. We discussed the decision with Paul Frymer, associate professor of politics and, as of July 1, 2015, director of Princeton University's Program in Law and Public Affairs, based at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Frymer studies American politics, institutions, law and American…
Features June 25, 2015
WWS Reacts: Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act Subsidies
On June 25, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, keeping health insurance coverage within reach for millions of Americans. The case, King v. Burwell, concerns language found in section 36B of the Internal Revenue Code, stating that ACA subsidies should be available to individuals on insurance exchanges "established by the state." Thirty-four states in the U.S. are reliant on the federal exchange for ACA enrollment of their residents. Now, thanks to the 6-3 ruling, residents of those states can continue to access subsidies to help them pay for health coverage through the federal exchange. We discussed…
Features June 25, 2015
Who's Who at the Woo: Graduate Admissions Office
Every fall, applicants to Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School graduate programs make final edits to their policy memos, double-check GRE score submissions and update their résumés. They click “submit,” and the months-long wait begins. Surrounded by stacks of reference letters, transcripts and personal essays, Associate Dean for Graduate Admissions John Templeton shuts his office door, and the reading season begins.While these applications could be reduced to numbers and metrics, the Wilson School graduate admissions team of five doesn’t lose sight of the people who are attached to them.In building each class of master’s students, Templeton and Melissa…
Features June 25, 2015
USG President Ella Cheng ’16 Finds Success Outside the Comfort Zone
Rising senior Ella Cheng ’16 made a splash last fall when she was elected Princeton University’s first woman president of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) since 2003. But since taking office this past February, Cheng, a major in the Woodrow Wilson School, has made a greater name for herself through her campus-wide initiatives, already shaping what will be a legacy of diplomacy and service.Cheng first became involved with USG during her freshman year when she ran for class senator. The Queens, N.Y., native had been class president her senior year at Hunter College High School in New York City, but knew that to run a large-scale campaign she…
Features June 18, 2015
After the Deal: Partnerships with Iran Could Reduce Long-Term Nuclear Risks
Within the next two weeks, or soon after, the United States and five world powers hope to finalize a nuclear deal with Iran to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for a relaxing of international economic and financial sanctions. But what happens in 10 years when some of the key restrictions being discussed begin to phase out?One of the biggest concerns is Iran’s uranium enrichment program, which uses high-speed centrifuges to produce uranium enriched to a level appropriate for nuclear power reactor fuel. Enrichment plants like this can be quickly reconfigured to produce “weapon-grade” uranium.One way to reduce this risk is by converting Iran's…
Features June 17, 2015
WWS Reacts: Who is Most Affected by the Texas Abortion Law?
UPDATE: As of June 29, the Supreme Court is refusing to allow Texas to enforce these restrictions. The order will likely remain in effect until fall 2015, when the court will decide whether to hear an emergency appeal from the clincs of the lower court ruling. Last week, a federal court upheld provisions from a 2013 Texas abortion law, which may close down 11 of Texas' remaining abortion clinics. We discussed the decision and who it will affect most with James Trussell, the Charles and Marie Robertson Professor of Public and International Affairs, Emeritus at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; and…