Northeastern University School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs

At NCSL Base Camp, Northeastern’s Matt Ross discussed why rigorous, early-stage evaluation is key, and why complex factors can make impact assessment challenging.
A strong case for evidence-based policymaking.
#PublicPolicy #CriminalJustice #NCSL
Read more here: www.ncsl.org/state-legisl...

Were the Supreme Court to rule against Trump’s tariff program, what would happen to the billions of dollars in duties already collected? Challenges to Trump’s tariff program have reached the Supreme Court, and experts say it could force the administration to refund importers.

What’s at stake as the Supreme Court reviews Trump’s tariff program? Dan Urman explains that there’s precedent for refund systems. The Court’s decision could mean major relief for importers or continued uncertainty for small businesses nationwide.
Read more:
news.northeastern.edu/2025/11/25/s...

End-of-life stroke care shows troubling gaps for Black, Hispanic and rural patients Black, Hispanic and rural stroke patients nearing death are more likely sent home than to hospice, a Northeastern study finds.

New research from Northeastern shows major disparities in end-of-life stroke care.
Co-authored by Nasim Ferdows, the study highlights urgent gaps in equity and access.
More in Northeastern Global News: news.northeastern.edu/2025/11/06/s...

Planet Action kicks off this weekend at MIT and the New England Aquarium. Three days of ideas that move from resilience to adaptability to real-world impact.

We’re proud to be involved as part of our commitment to policy innovation that supports a livable planet.

Register here: tedxboston.com

California voters give Democrats a chance in mid-term elections, expert says New congressional map in California gives Democrats a chance to take the House in 2026, Northeastern University expert says.

California’s Prop 50 passed, and Northeastern’s Mark Henderson says it could shift the balance of power in the 2026 midterms. A rare mid-decade redistricting wave is reshaping the map nationwide.
Read more on Northeastern Global News: news.northeastern.edu/2025/11/05/p...
#NUPolicySchool

Climate Justice at the University: Integrating Struggles for Liberation With universities being highly enmeshed with corporate money that comes from fossil fuel industries, does it even make sense to have universities? And how exactly do we move from profit-seeking scienc...

"For some, there is a dilemma between wanting to keep our jobs and striving to stay principled," reflects former @nu-policyschool.bsky.social director @jenniecstephens.bsky.social, at a time when "authoritarian regimes try to squash dissent within higher ed."
www.resilience.org/stories/2025...

Americans on Food Stamps Have No Good Options America has a lifeline against hunger: ultra-processed foods.

Unprecedented SNAP cuts are putting the most vulnerable at risk. "It is a significant inflection point in the program's history," says @nu-policyschool.bsky.social professor @cjbossoboston.bsky.social Christopher Bosso. "Where we go from here is anyone's guess."
www.theatlantic.com/health/2025/...

They survived the hurricane. Their insurance company didn't. Hurricane Ida revealed a fragile insurance industry ill-prepared for the consequences of climate change. More than four years later, what's changed?

"We are in the era of polycrisis.” says @nu-policyschool.bsky.social professor @danielaldrich.bsky.social. “The number of disasters and their impact are both increasing and the time between shocks is decreasing [...]. Insurance companies, and homeowners can't keep up."
grist.org/economics/in...

On Nov 3rd, the @bostonu.bsky.social Department of Sociology and Boston University Initiative on Cities hosted a special Urban Inequalities Workshop featuring @nu-policyschool.bsky.social professor Dan O'Brien's new book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 (MIT Press, 2025).

William ‘Mo’ Cowan: ‘The epitome of grace under pressure’ The afternoon featured a wave of reminiscences, anecdotes and personal accounts of encounters and experiences that showed Cowan’s impact.

Honored to celebrate Hon. William “Mo” Cowan ’94 as his portrait is unveiled at Northeastern Law.
His legacy continues to inspire our community and the next generation of legal and civic leaders.
Read more here: news.northeastern.edu/2025/10/30/p...
#NUPolicySchool #PublicService #Leadership

Ruth T. represented the Policy School at the 25th Public Policy Leadership Conference (PPLC) at @harvard.edu this past Saturday, November 1st.
Events like these are crucial for building the next generation of policy leaders. #NUPolicySchool

Greater Physician Supply Associated with Lower Mortality in Rural Counties: A 23-Year County-Level Longitudinal Observational Study - PubMed Rural U.S. residents face higher mortality rates and reduced access to primary care physicians. Prior studies report mixed findings on physician supply and health outcomes, and few have examined whether increasing supply reduces rural-urban mortality disparities. The objective was to quantify the ma …

New study co-authored by Northeastern’s Nasim Ferdows finds that increasing primary care physician supply significantly reduces mortality in rural U.S. communities — far more than in urban areas.

Read more here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41170580/

#RuralHealth #HealthPolicy #Northeastern

Tune in to hear @nu-policyschool.bsky.social
Director @mivanova.bsky.social discuss the turbulent negotiations over a global plastics treaty on 𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴. The podcast episode is now live on Spotify.

🎧 Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/5O9R...

New publication co-authored by Northeastern’s Moira Zellner (@moirazellner.bsky.social) examines how water quality programs can better integrate equity and community voices.

#NUPolicySchool

Read more here: ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/...

Ideas In Action · Events Calendar View and subscribe to events from Ideas In Action on Luma. Thoughtleader events that focus on actionable ideas.

TEDx: Planet Action

75+ speakers | Climate solutions + innovation
📅 Nov 15–16 @ MIT Kresge
Scaling resilience + engineering adaptability
📅 Nov 17 @ NE Aquarium
Impact stories + what's next
We're proud to support conversations that inform policy.

🎟️ Register: tedxboston.com/portfolio/pl...

The Policy Pulse | October 2025 Newsletter Email from Northeastern University School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs Read the latest news from the Policy School! View as Webpage   OCTOBER 2025 Dear Friends: At the Policy School, we understa

Our October Policy Pulse is out!

Catch up on faculty research, student highlights, upcoming events, and policy insights from across the Northeastern Policy community.

Read it here:
myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Policy-P...

#PublicPolicy #Northeastern #PolicySchool

We're proud to release Northeastern University School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs 2025 Impact Report! From experiential learning projects to engaged scholarship, our faculty and students are making an impact across communities and continents. cssh.northeastern.edu/policyschool...

Death toll passes 1,400 in Afghanistan’s earthquake as aid workers warn of worsening shortages.
@danielaldrich.bsky.social tells The Washington Post: “The longer we’re seeing the consequences of attacks on international aid agencies, the more those gaps remain unfilled.” #NUPolicySchool

More than 800 lives lost in Afghanistan after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake.
Northeastern’s @danielaldrich.bsky.social tells The New York Times:
“Domestic governance structure and international aid are very critical … and both are at a low point in Afghanistan at the moment.”
#NUPolicySchool

Excited to welcome our new PhD and master’s students to the Policy School!
This week’s orientations brought together faculty, staff, and students to launch a year of engaged scholarship — and action. Go huskies!
#NUPolicySchool #Northeastern #PublicPolicy #GradSchool #PhD

Congratulations to Policy School PhD candidate Mohsin Khan on accepting a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Politics, Law, and Society at East Central University in Oklahoma!
#Academia #PolicyResearch #WaterPolicy #HigherEducation

After recent floods, Legislature must act now to strengthen climate resilience - The Boston Globe Governor Healey’s Mass Ready Act is an essential step in the right direction. But two key areas need to be improved.

After dangerous flash floods, leaders are striving to create plans to reduce the destruction of these all too common natural disasters. @nu-policyschool.bsky.social's Joan Fitzgerald covers plans for flood prone areas in a new op-ed from @bostonglobe.com: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/21/o...

<em>Review of Policy Research</em> | PSO Public Policy Journal | Wiley Online Library This paper provides a retrospective on California's oversight of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D). It utilizes archival documents, including internal memos, emails, and risk assessments, to demonstrate ho....

New from Northeastern’s Kaitlyn Alvarez Noli:
"Managing Risk, Reinforcing Environmental Racism" explores how CA’s pesticide regulation system protects industry while failing Latinx farmworker communities.

Read more here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Scientists Urge Action Before Final Plastics Treaty Talks The UN plastics treaty INC-5.2 is the world's best opportunity to secure a comprehensive, binding agreement tackling plastic pollution Scientists

As the UN preps for treaty negotiations on plastic, scientists urge governments to take more concrete steps to cut down on pollutants. @nu-policyschool.bsky.social's Prof. Maria Ivanova highlights the importance of rethinking international trade.

www.miragenews.com/scientists-u...

Scientists Urge Action Before Final Plastics Treaty Talks The UN plastics treaty INC-5.2 is the world's best opportunity to secure a comprehensive, binding agreement tackling plastic pollution Scientists

Prof. Ivanova is featured in The Mirage for her leadership on a bold global plastics treaty ahead of INC-5.2.

Read more: www.miragenews.com/scientists-u...

#PlasticsTreaty #MariaIvanova #Northeastern #EnvironmentalPolicy #GlobalGovernance

Gaskin: Underserved communities need more green funding focus Governor Maura Healey introduced the Massachusetts Environmental Bond Bill — the Mass Ready Act — a $2.9 billion proposal to shore up our infrastructure, protect natural resources, and safeguard co…

A new Boston Herald op-ed highlights work by Northeastern Prof. Joan Fitzgerald, Advisory Council member Greg King, and students developing a data tool to target climate funds toward the most impacted EJ communities.
Read more: www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/22/g...

#MassReadyAct #ClimateJustice

Can Donald Trump legally fire Jerome Powell? “The law is quite clear,” says Dan Urman, director of the law and public policy minor at Northeastern University.

Dan Urman, director of Northeastern’s Law & Public Policy minor, says Trump likely can’t fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell over interest rates:
“The law is quite clear.”
Only removals “for cause” are allowed—and this isn’t one.
Read more: news.northeastern.edu/2025/07/17/d...

After recent floods, Legislature must act now to strengthen climate resilience - The Boston Globe Governor Healey’s Mass Ready Act is an essential step in the right direction. But two key areas need to be improved.

Joan Fitzgerald (Northeastern) co-authors a new Boston Globe op-ed urging the MA Legislature to strengthen the Mass Ready Act with a statewide resilience building code and a voluntary buyout program for flood-prone properties.
Read more: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/21/o...

How Systemic Gaps Left Texans Exposed in Deadly Flood, and What Happens Next State lawmakers are expected to consider a variety of improvements this week.

@danielaldrich.bsky.social of Northeastern tells the New York Sun that deadly Texas floods highlight urgent reform needs: better flood maps, sirens, evacuation plans, and trust-building between agencies and communities.
Read more: www.nysun.com/article/how-...
#DisasterResilience #FloodPolicy

Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians Physicians need a supportive medical culture that values flexibility, sustainability, and diverse contributions rather than outdated expectations of nonstop clinical sacrifice.

Dr. Timothy Hoff, Professor at Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, is featured in a new piece on the evolving culture of medicine.
The article calls for a shift toward flexibility and sustainability in how we support physicians.

More: kevinmd.com/2025/07/why-...