SPIAccolades — March 2026

Amaney Jamal, dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, participated in the fifth webinar of the Empowering Muslim Women in Scientific Research series, presenting on gender attitudes over the last decade.

Drawing on 20 years of data from the Arab Barometer, which she co-founded and of which she is a co-principal investigator, Jamal examined societal attitudes toward female employment across the Middle East and North Africa. The presentation highlighted the progress that has been made over time and the structural and cultural barriers that continue to shape women’s participation in the workforce.

“I hope that I can contribute to the understanding of the challenges women face in the region as it relates to employments trends," Jamal said.

Heather Howard, professor of the practice and director of the State Health and Value Strategies program, participated in a nonpartisan virtual learning session for congressional staff on rural health, hosted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The briefing examined the policy implications of recent federal Medicaid changes, including how states are using the Rural Health Transformation Program, to support underserved communities.

“We know that the historic Medicaid cuts in H.R. 1 are likely to worsen rural health distress, leading to more hospital closures, poorer health outcomes, and greater disparities,” Howard said. “While states are developing innovative ideas through the Rural Health Transformation Program, its one-time funding cannot replace the estimated $137 billion in Medicaid cuts facing rural communities and the healthcare safety net.”

Rafaela Dancygier, professor of politics and international affairs and director of the Mamdouha S. Bobst Center for Peace and Justice, received the American Journal of Political Science Best Article Award from the Midwest Political Science Association. The award recognizes Dancygier and her co-authors for their paper “Emigration and Radical Right Populism,” which was named the best article published in the journal in 2025 and one that made a significant contribution to the field of political science.

The paper finds that out-migration can strengthen support for populist radical right parties by changing the composition of local electorates and deepening grievances among those who remain, particularly in places facing population loss and declining public services.

“By showing how out-migration can hollow out communities, erode public services, and reshape both who remains and how they vote, it offers a new perspective on one of the most consequential political developments of our time,” Dancygier said. “I am grateful that this award recognizes work that seeks to uncover the deeper social and geographic roots of contemporary democratic discontent.”