The Murphy Institute at Tulane University

The Murphy Institute is proud to recognize outstanding commitment to the public good through the annual Murphy Institute Public Service Award. ✨

This honor is presented to graduating senior(s) in Political Economy who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in public service by going above and beyond in their dedication to community impact.

Congratulations to this year's award winners: Autumn Sommers, Georgia May, Rory Macdonald, and Beatriz de Castro Troncoso 🏆

🆕 A new report titled State of the States, published by the State of the Nation Project and funded by The Murphy Institute, analyzes more than 30 years of data across all 50 states to provide a long-term progress report for each state.

Released in recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary, the bipartisan report aims to build consensus around a fundamental question: How are we really doing as a country?

🔗 Learn more: https://murphy.tulane.edu/murphy-institute-funded-state-nation-project-publishes-new-report.

Dan Friess, Director of our Center for Public Policy Research, and his Mangrove Lab team are advancing research on how ecosystems can drive climate mitigation. 🔍☁️

Their work is drawing global interest from governments, nonprofits, and industry leaders seeking effective climate mitigation solutions. 🌐

🖱️Explore their impact: https://murphy.tulane.edu/translating-coastal-science-actionable-policy-spotlight-cppr-director-dan-friess.

At Tulane University, the distinction of Senior Honors Scholar is bestowed upon the Honors Thesis writer(s) each department or program considers its very best, accounting for: the quality of the student's Honors Thesis; performance in courses; and other contributions to the field of study. 🌟📚

Within our Political Economy undergraduate program, we were proud to recognize two outstanding recipients: Alec Riley (thesis director: Dr. Casey Love) and Scarlett Seyler (thesis director: Dr. Patrick A. Testa). 🤩

👏 Congratulations, Alec and Scarlett, on this well-deserved honor!

🌀 With hurricane season officially underway, we’re looking back at our Center for Law and the Economy (CLE) Conference from last fall, where policymakers and scholars gathered to address Louisiana’s insurance crisis.

Explore the recap: https://murphy.tulane.edu/louisiana-insurance-crisis-policymakers-and-scholars-seek-solutions-murphy-cle-conference. 🔙

Curious about all The Murphy Institute has to offer? Read up on the latest issue of our annual newsletter, The Exchange, to learn about our Centers, events, academic programs, and much more: https://issuu.com/tulanemurphy/docs/the_exchange_fall_2025_-_a_new_campus_home_and_a_?fr=sNWUwMjg5MzMzMzQ 📖

Each year, The Murphy Institute recognizes the graduating seniors in political economy with an outstanding performance in academic excellence the Charles H. Murphy Prize. 🏆

Congratulations to our 2026 honorees:
Kate Litton, Noah Zelkin, Serena Lum, and Porter Hoel — we are so proud of your hard work and achievements! 🎓

👏 Join us in celebrating these incredible graduates!

📰 The Murphy Institute-funded Education Research Alliance for New Orleans recently shared new Citywide Youth Survey findings designed to help inform local conversations about how New Orleans can better support young people.

Check out the survey⤵️
https://educationresearchalliancenola.org/citywide-youth-survey

Tulane researchers find New Orleans youth have high ambitions but face challenges with mental health, school support A new survey of New Orleans public school students finds many young people are aiming high for college and careers, but a sizable share are struggling with mental health, feeling unsupported in school and worrying that their motivation or academic performance could keep them from reaching their goal...

Get inspired with a look back at our spring research symposium, "AI: From Code to Consequences," including photos, videos, and a written recap of day one panel sessions. ✨

🎥Revisit the day: https://murphy.tulane.edu/events/2026-research-symposium.

Tulane University Tulane School of Science and Engineering Tulane Law School Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment Tulane University - Freeman School of Business Tulane University School of Professional Advancement

🔙Last month, the 2025-2026 Center for Ethics Graduate Fellow cohort closed out a productive fellowship year by sharing their research during the second annual CE Graduate Fellows Presentation.🧑‍💼

Five fellows presented their dissertation projects and fielded questions. 🧑‍💻Read on to learn about the fellows and their work here: https://murphy.tulane.edu/center-ethics-hosts-second-annual-graduate-fellows-presentation.