In Service of Humanity

Climate-driven migration is having global impacts, something Hélène Benveniste Ph.D. ’21 is acutely aware of thanks to her research. There are an increasing number of people who need to move and don’t have the resources to do so. Helping these hidden communities should be top of mind for policymakers.

In this episode of #Changemakers, she discusses her research on climate change policy, as well as the challenges she faces as a woman in academia. She also shares advice for anyone considering a Ph.D., most importantly the value of "knowing yourself" since research is such an involved activity. 

Benveniste is a postdoctoral environmental fellow at the Harvard University Center for the Environment at the Kennedy School. She graduated from SPIA in 2021 with her Ph.D. in Public Affairs, focusing on Science, Technology, & Environmental Policy (STEP). Previously, she was a researcher at University of California, Berkeley and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. She also served as a research scientist and project manager for the French negotiation team during the creation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

#Changemakers is a podcast series featuring the many Princeton SPIA alumni who built up their policy toolkits at Princeton and went on to change their communities. The show is produced, hosted, and edited by B. Rose Huber, director of communications and senior writer at SPIA.

​Equitable policies for families and children is a focus for Christina Henderson MPA ’12, at-large member of the DC City Council. In this episode of the Dean’s Dialogue, she discusses how to advocate for those who “aren’t often in the room” with Dean Amaney Jamal. 

Together, they cover policy issues like maternal and infant health, reproductive rights, and paid parental leave.

Throughout the episode, Henderson stresses the importance of local government and reflects on the courses, faculty, and friends at SPIA that prepared her for a life of public service. In turn, Dean Jamal shares her vision for School, especially in terms of creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all. 

Henderson will be a featured speaker at our first D.C. graduate alumni event with Dean Jamal on  May 26, just steps from the Capitol and Union Station! Register now to join fellow alumni and SPIA leadership at this networking reception.

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Thanks for tuning into the first episode of the Dean’s Dialogue podcast!  April is Arab American Heritage Month, and to reflect on this diverse community, Dean Amaney Jamal sits down in conversation with Baher Iskander MPA ’22, a naturalized immigrant from Cairo, Egypt, with an interest in U.S. Middle East policy. 

Together, they discuss what it means to be Arab American, the representation of different faiths within the community, and the ways the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) can foster a more inclusive community for all students. 

Subscribe to the Dean’s Dialogue and all of SPIA’s podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else you find podcasts. Just search for “In the Service of Humanity,” and you’ll know you’ve found us.

The Dean’s Dialogue is a monthly podcast hosted by Amaney Jamal, Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. The show is produced and edited by B. Rose Huber and receives support from Sarah Binder, Egan Jimenez, Daniel Kearns, and Brittany Murray.

Social Security remains beloved and holds bipartisan support among American citizens. Yet the program faces an insolvency crisis. By 2034, when the fund is projected to run dry, it’s estimated that 81 million Americans will face automatic benefit cuts of 20%.

There is nothing complicated about fixing Social Security, according to R. Douglas Arnold of Princeton University. Legislators could simply raise taxes or they could cut benefits — by raising the retirement age, for example. What remains complicated are the politics of fixing Social Security, Arnold argues in a new book published by Princeton University Press.

In “Fixing Social Security: The Politics of Reform in a Polarized Age,” Arnold explores the historical role that Social Security has played in American politics, why Congress has done nothing to fix its solvency problem for three decades, and what legislators can do to save it. We discuss the book in this episode.

Endnotes takes listeners behind the cover and through the pages of books on politics, policy, and more — all written by faculty at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. The show is hosted by B. Rose Huber.

Freedom of religion is a constitutionally protected right in the religion clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. By definition, this should reflect America’s diversity and cover all people equally — whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic, or atheist. 

In practice, however, Americans sometimes support policies that seemingly violate the civil rights of Muslims. Although the U.S. Census identifies Muslim immigrants of the Middle East and North Africa as white, they face discrimination and prejudices of being terrorists, suspicious, and violent.

This paradox is the heart of “The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom,” by Sahar Aziz, visiting professor at SPIA and Professor of Law and Chancellor's Social Justice Scholar at Rutgers University.

In this episode of Endnotes, Aziz explains the intersection of race and religion and what she refers to as the “Racial Muslim.” She discusses the government surveillance and immigration restrictions that Muslims continue to face in the U.S. and compares this plight to other religious groups that have historically faced discrimination in America, such as Catholics, Mormons and Jews. 

Endnotes is a podcast series taking listeners behind the cover and through the pages of books and publications on politics, policy, and more — all written by faculty at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). The show is hosted, produced, and edited by B. Rose Huber, director of communications.

Kiersten Todt '94 is chief of staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which serves as the "quarterback" for the federal cybersecurity team, protecting and defending the home front. She graduated from Princeton in 1994 with her undergraduate degree. You can find her full bio here: https://www.cisa.gov/kiersten-e-todt

In this episode, she talks about the power of perseverance and being open to different career paths. She believes you can learn as much from failure and challenge as you do from successes.

CISA is also hiring, and Kiersten wants to hear from you! Email her: kiersten.todt AT cisa.dhs DOT gov.

Learn more about CISA: https://www.cisa.gov/

President Joe Biden’s recent speech on voting rights signaled a commitment to helping preserve democracy, and today, Jan. 19, the Senate will debate and vote on legislation centered on voting rights protections.

This issue is very much on the mind of Asha Rangappa ’96, a lawyer and CNN commentator. In this podcast, she discusses the necessary steps the U.S. must take to preserve democracy, including ensuring voting rights and building social trust.

Pierina Sanchez MPA ’14 is the daughter of immigrants and a lifelong resident of the Bronx. She was recently elected to the New York City Council to represent District 14. In this episode, she discusses issues of economic and housing inequality in her community, along with her hopes to bring more opportunity to District 14.

* At the time of this recording, Pierina was running for office.

Whether it be earning a college degree, buying a house, or addressing income shortfalls, access to credit is essential for many people’s well-being and social opportunities in today’s richest countries. Yet, with credit also comes the burden of debt, which many are shouldering in an unsteady economic climate. But why are some people in some countries more indebted than others?

Andreas Wiedemann seeks to understand this in his new book, “Indebted Societies.” Through detailed accounts of individuals and countries, Wiedemann develops a new social policy theory of everyday borrowing to examine how the rise of credit as a private alternative to the welfare state creates a new kind of social and economic citizenship. He also addresses the fundamental question of who should be responsible for managing socio-economic risks and providing social opportunities.

Dennis McBride MPA '80 is the 17th mayor of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin — his hometown. He's had a long career in government, law, and even public relations. In this episode, he discusses being a mayor during the tumultuous year of 2020. He advises those going into government to develop a "thick skin" and always play on your home field.