A Diverse, Interdisciplinary Ethos

In many circles, Gladys McCormick represents a distinctive point of view when it comes to discussing U.S. foreign policy with Latin America. As an historian, a woman, and a naturalized U.S. citizen from Costa Rica—o en the only one in the room—she adds vital context to inform solutions to pressing issues.

At the Maxwell School, McCormick has found a home among scholars and practitioners guided by a longstanding interdisciplinary principle: Diverse viewpoints fuel innovation and deliver better outcomes.

As an international scholar and as director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for the number-one–ranked school of public a airs in the United States, what do you see as the most pressing issue of the past 15 months?

COVID has revealed and widened the deep chasm of inequalities, domestically and internationally. The public health systems in many countries, especially in Asia and Latin America, have been completely overwhelmed. Many have lacked basic healthcare, let alone access to vaccines. The pandemic has also had a sweeping economic impact; while the wealthiest made more money in 2020, the middle class and lower middle class have been devastated. All of this is certain to fuel instability.

How can looking at an issue through the lens of history and other disciplines provide insight to map a path forward?

Let’s look at the drug war in Mexico as an example. Undeniably, it has been a failure; we’ve seen exponential growth in violence. Many look to 2006 as the war’s focal point because of the marked explosion in cartels, but they were around for decades—born from weak government institutions. The failure of the drug war is a failure to reckon with history. It shows the falsehood of the cookie-cutter mentality in policy—that because a solution worked in one context, it must work in another.

I impart on students that they must be attuned to the social, political, and holistic considerations of a region. Looking at the future, cra ing policy, requires a study of the past.

At Maxwell, my contextual understanding is strengthened by colleagues within the Moynihan Institute for Global A airs. In this environment, I am immersed, for example, in the work of economists focused on financial crime in Asia and political scientists studying the Middle East’s refugee crisis. This leads to research collaboration, such as a recent paper I co-wrote with sociologist Edwin Ackerman analyzing COVID quarantine e orts in Mexico.

How is Maxwell working to instill in its students this inclusive ethos?

Our students have long benefited from the range of perspectives that come from our interdisciplinary approach: Looking at an issue from diverse lenses fuels their understanding that successful ideas and policies must reflect our diverse world.

The recent social justice reckoning added momentum to our work to build a culture of inclusivity and remove barriers for the underrepresented. We created a robust DEI strategic plan that established a inity groups and launched cross-cultural dialogue opportunities. We also just concluded a graduate colloquium in which students developed action plans for implementing these practices in their professional lives.

This work is ongoing on both our Syracuse and Washington, D.C., campuses.