Top Stories
| A New Fellowship to Explore White House's History of Slavery |
| The Washington Post spoke with Antiracism Center Interim Director Christine Platt, History Prof. Malgorzata Rymsza-Pawlowska and Mia Owens, the inaugural recipient of a joint fellowship launched by AU and the White House Historical Association. During her time as fellow, Mia will research slavery's legacy in D.C. as well as at AU. WTOP-FM also covered the initiative. (10/12) |
| Spinach Gives Fuel Cells a Power Up |
| New research by Shouzhong Zou, professor of chemistry, was featured in IEEE Spectrum. Zou and his team of student researchers found that spinach is an effective source of fuel for battery cells. (10/14) |
Faculty Author
| Epic Miscalls and Landslides Unforeseen: The Exceptional Catalog of Polling Failure |
| Professor of Communication Joe Campbell wrote an article for The Conversation about polling failures during elections. Campbell wrote, “That describes most polling failures in presidential elections: They tend to be exceptional, unlike previous polling errors.” Campbell also wrote an article for The Hill about polling. (10/14, 10/15) |
Expertise
| Sen. Hirono Grills Amy Coney Barrett for Describing Sexual Orientation as a 'Preference' |
| William Leap, professor emeritus of anthropology, spoke to The Washington Post about the Senate confirmation hearing of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. David Barker, director for the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, spoke to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Washington College of Law Professor Robert Tsai discussed the hearing on This Morning with Gordon Deal. History Professor Laura Beers penned an op-ed for CNN. (10/14) |
| China's Xi Lays Out Plan to Build Shenzhen Into a Global Rival to Troubled Hong Kong |
| Joseph Torigian, assistant professor in the School of International Service, spoke to The Washington Post about Xi Jinping's plan to develop Shenzhen into a special economic zone. Torigian said, “The SEZs were founded when China's relations with the outside world were improving.” Torigian also discussed the issue with The New York Times. (10/14) |
| 8 Million Have Slipped into Poverty Since May as Federal Aid Has Dried Up |
| Bradley Hardy, associate professor of public affairs, spoke to The New York Times about how the pandemic and lack of federal aid has affected families. Hardy said, “The lack of predictability has all kinds of negative consequences.” Derek Hyra, director of the Metropolitan Policy Center, talked with Washington Post and Washington Business Journals about issues related to the economy and the pandemic. (10/15) |
| UnitedHealth's Profits Show It's Great To Be an Insurer During a Pandemic |
| Aparna Soni, assistant professor of public affairs, spoke to The Los Angeles Times about how insurance companies have profited during the pandemic. Soni said, “One of the core principles of economics is that firms are profit-maximizing – they will set their prices in a way that maximizes profits.” (10/15) |
| Who Declares Winner in the U.S. Presidential Election? |
| AU Experts discussed issues around the upcoming presidential election. Amy Dacey, executive director of the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics, spoke to Voice of America. Betsy Fischer Martin, executive director of the Women & Politics Institute, discussed the vice-presidential debates with The Boston Globe. Assistant Professor of Public Affairs Chris Edelson spoke to Maryland Matters. Saif Shahin, assistant professor of communication, spoke about the role social media and misinformation to AFP and Professorial Lecturer Jason Mollica spoke to MarketWatch. (10/12) |
| New Focus on Militias and Domestic Terrorists |
| Carolyn Gallaher, senior associate dean in the School of International Service, Cynthia Miller-Idriss, director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab, and Kurt Braddock, assistant professor in the School of Communication, participated in a panel that discussed the impact of extremism and domestic terrorism on the election. NBC4 featured the panel in a segment on the rise of domestic terrorism in America. Miller-Idriss also appeared on CNN GPS, NPR and WAMU's 1A. (10/14, 10/11, 10/9, 10/15) |
| The Cerebellum Is Finally Getting Its Due |
| Catherine Stoodley, associate professor of psychology, talked with The Atlantic for a story about how scientists' understanding of the cerebellum's role is evolving. (10/11) |
| Uber, Lyft Influencers Find Democratic Allies Toughest to Sway |
| Caroline Bruckner, managing director of the Kogod Tax Policy Center, spoke to Bloomberg Government about Uber and Lyft's influence on the gig worker industry. Bruckner said, “I don't think Uber and Lyft are going to be around forever. The model they've developed might be.” (10/13) |
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