China’s Edifice Complex
Ning Leng, assistant professor at the McCourt School, wrote for Foreign Affairs on how China’s top-down authoritarian system traps the country in a cycle of enormous economic waste.
June 12, 2026
Faculty in the News
Our distinguished McCourt faculty and research fellows are regularly sought by national and international media outlets as authoritative voices on today’s most critical policy challenges.
This engagement reflects McCourt’s core mission: ensuring evidence-based research informs public understanding and policy decisions. When complex issues demand expert analysis, media organizations consistently turn to our faculty for the credible, nuanced perspectives that advance democratic dialogue and informed decision-making.
Igniting Democratic Imaginations
Peter W. Cookson, Jr., adjunct professor at the McCourt School, wrote an article for American Educator on the urgent need to revitalize civic education to combat global authoritarianism and democratic backsliding as America marks its 250th anniversary.
Summer 2026 Issue
Facebook is paying people overseas promoting Alberta separatism
Renée DiResta, associate research professor at McCourt’s Massive Data Institute and Tech & Public Policy Center, was quoted in a CBC News article on Meta’s incentivizing audience manipulation through account impersonation and monetization practices.
June 8th, 2026
Number of young U.S. children without health insurance is growing fast, says report
Elizabeth Burak, senior research fellow at the Center for Children and Families, was interviewed for an NPR News report on the increase in uninsured young children and the risks missing coverage might cause.
June 1st, 2026
Job training needs new financing, not new debt
Harry Holzer, John LaFarge Jr. SJ Professor of Public Policy, co-wrote an opinion piece for The Hill on the need to incorporate outcome-based repayment models for skilled worker training programs.
May 30th, 2026
Is AI to blame for hiring woes faced by college graduates?
Harry Holzer, John LaFarge Jr. SJ Professor of Public Policy, was quoted in an ABC News article on reasons for the slowdown of hiring new college graduates.
May 28th, 2026
For years, teachers unions fought for better pay and benefits. Now districts, including Boston, are planning layoffs.
Marguerite Roza, research professor and Director of Edunomics Lab, was quoted in a Boston Globe article on the adverse effects of teachers unions fighting for better pay and benefits.
May 25th, 2026
‘Get off your phones’: Surgeon general advisory calls on kids to cut screen time
Thomas Toch, director of FutureEd, was quoted in an ABC News article on the effectiveness of smartphone bans within K-12 schools.
May 20th, 2026
Cheaper, alternative health plans are having a moment, but critics urge caution
Amy Killelea, assistant research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms, was quoted in a CBS News article on the rise of enrollment in more affordable, alternative health plans which do not meet federal comprehensive coverage requirements.
May 20th, 2026
Eroding ACA Enrollment Portends Higher Insurance Rates
Sabrina Corlette, research professor and founder of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms, was quoted in a U.S. News article on the declining enrollment in the Affordable Care Act.
May 20th, 2026
Over 100,000 Family Separations in Deportation Push, Report Estimates
Maria Cancian, Professor and Former Dean, was quoted in a New York Times article on her research into the number of family separations caused by deportations.
May 18th, 2026
Trump administration defers $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California amid fraud investigation
Andy Schneider, research professor at the Center for Children and Families, was quoted in a CNN article on the Trump administration’s withholding of medicare payments to California.
May 13th, 2026
Experts warn of political campaigns made fake by AI
Thessalia Merivaki, associate professor, was quoted in a Southern Maryland Chronicle article on the use of AI in political campaigns.
May 11th, 2026
US schools face a crisis as the number of children drops
Marguerite Roza, research professor and Director of Edunomics Lab, was quoted in a Straits Times article on why fewer children are attending K-12 schools.
May 11th, 2026
Women at the sharp end as AI takes over administrative roles
Jeff Strohl, director of the Center on Education and the Workforce, was quoted in an Irish Times article on the labor market losses resulting from AI workplace automation.
May 10th, 2026
Health insurance marketplace feels growing tremors from GOP cuts
Sabrina Corlette, research professor and founder of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms, was quoted in an article by The Hill on the impact of GOP-controlled Congress’s ending of enhanced subsidies to Obamacare, with millions of Americans are dropping coverage.
May 10th, 2026
Medicaid work requirements give red states a chance to turn back clock
Tricia Brooks, research professor at the Center for Children and Families, was quoted in a Politico article on tactics to make the upcoming implementation of work requirements to receive Medicaid especially strict and drastically reduce the number of people covered.
May 5th, 2026
Why a plan to fix health insurance for thousands of children has stalled
Joan Alker, executive director and co-founder of the Center for Children and Families (CCF), was quoted in a Washington Post article on declining enrollment in KidCare, Florida’s health insurance program for children in low-income families.
April 25th, 2026
Iran’s Meme War Against Trump Ushers In a Future of ‘Slopaganda’
Renée DiResta, associate research professor at McCourt’s Massive Data Institute and Tech & Public Policy Center, was quoted in a New York Times article on Iran’s circulating of AI propaganda videos.
April 24th, 2026
AI is remaking the workforce. How can colleges ensure students thrive?
Jeff Strohl, director of the Center on Education and the Workforce, was quoted in a Higher Ed Dive article on offering college students workforce preparation in the face of AI.
April 16th, 2026
Hungarian election could end Orbán’s grip on power and alter Europe’s political landscape
R. Daniel Kelemen, associate dean for faculty and McCourt chair, was interviewed for PBS News Hour on what the election of a new prime minister means for Hungary.
April 10th, 2026
Medicaid work rules will stress states’ staffing capacity
Tricia Brooks, research professor at the Center for Children and Families, was quoted in a CBS News article on staffing cuts to states’ social services agencies and the stress that those positions cause.
April 9th, 2026
When Virality Is The Message: The New Age of AI Propaganda
Renée DiResta, associate research professor at McCourt’s Massive Data Institute and Tech & Public Policy programs, published an opinion piece on propaganda’s foray into the world of viral AI-generated videos for TIME Ideas.
April 2nd, 2026
How a SCOTUS decision on birthright citizenship could impact education access
Anne Dwyer, professor at McCourt’s Center for Children and Families, was quoted in a WWNO NPR article on how changes in legislation might impact education access.
March 30, 2026
Why Are So Many Democratic Politicians So Far Out of Touch?
Michael Bailey, Colonel William J. Walsh Professor of American Government, was quoted in a NYTimes Op-Ed on affective polarization and political moderation.
March 24, 2026
Many US adults are skipping parenting or having fewer kids – and it’s forcing schools to close
Tara Moon, policy analyst at FutureEd, was quoted by The Guardian in an article on the staffing cuts that follow cuts to academic programs in K-12 schools.
February 16, 2026
Trump gives his state of the union address tonight. Here’s what to watch for
Jonathan Ladd, associate professor, was quoted in a CBC News article on what to expect in President Trump’s 2026 state of the union address.
February 24, 2026
Maria Ressa and Renée DiResta – Time 100 Talks
Renée DiResta, associate research professor at McCourt’s Massive Data Institute and Tech and Public Policy programs, was in conversation with Maria Ressa and Prince Harry on combating disinformation for Time Magazine’s Time 100 Talks.
February 16, 2026
State public-option health plans expand but can’t fill gaps left by federal changes
Justin Giovannelli, associate research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms was quoted in an NPR article on Nevada residents potentially losing health coverage despite the move to a public-option.
February 18, 2026
What Happens to the Children of ICE Detainees? | Opinion
Maria Cancian, professor and former dean of the McCourt School, wrote an opinion piece for Newsweek on parent-child separations from recent immigration enforcement.
February 17, 2026
Obamacare signups dropped by 1.2 million. Here’s why that may change.
Sabrina Corlette, McCourt School research professor and founder of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms, was quoted in a USA Today article on the effects to health insurance enrollment after the elimination of enhanced tax credits.
February 4, 2026