A new faculty fellowship focused on public service has been established at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, designed to support scholarship that bridges academic research and real-world policy.
The Heighberger Family Faculty Fellow of Public Service will provide funding and recognition to faculty whose work advances public service priorities. Political science professor Audie Klotz has been named the inaugural fellow and will hold the position for three years.
The fellowship was created to honor the careers of Maxwell alumnus Eric Heighberger and his spouse, Genevieve, whose work has spanned homeland security, emergency management, and public sector consulting. Heighberger held roles with the White House Homeland Security Council and Senate and House committees on homeland security, before serving as chief of staff at FEMA from 2017-21. He now serves as senior director of federal affairs for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee. Genevieve has spent more than two decades supporting FEMA and local governments through public sector consulting.
The new fellowship is funded through a gift from Stephen Hagerty, a Maxwell Advisory Board member, Syracuse University trustee, and contributor to Homeland Security Today, along with his spouse, Lisa Altenbernd. Additional support comes from the university’s Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program, with the fund totalling $1 million.
Klotz’s selection reflects a career focused on global migration, international norms, and the political forces shaping both. Her research has been supported by organizations including the National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Fulbright Program. She has authored five books and contributed to numerous additional volumes, while also earning recognition for teaching and mentorship at Maxwell.
The creation of the fellowship underscores a broader effort to invest in scholarship that informs policy decisions across sectors, including areas tied to national security, migration, and global governance. It also reflects the continued influence of Maxwell alumni in shaping public service initiatives, from post-9/11 recovery efforts to ongoing federal and international policy work.
(AI was used in part to facilitate this article.)
