Dickinson in the News: Summer 2018

This summer Dickinson was highlighted in 1,464 national and 310 international news pieces, including The New York Times coverage of groundbreaking research, faculty op-eds in the Wall Street Journal, and stories highlighting faculty expertise in USA Today.

Highlights

• In an exclusive feature published on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer, President Margee Ensign and Visiting International Scholar in International Studies Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob discussed the Bridge Program, a new college-preparation initiative started by Ensign for young people from regions of the world experiencing conflict and natural disasters. The first Bridge students are four women who escaped the terrorist group Boko Haram.
• Two op-eds by President Margee Ensign were recently published in national outlets. “We Say We Seek Diversity—but Where Are the Truly Inclusive Campuses?” was published in The Hechinger Report. “We Must Do More for International Students” was published in Inside Higher Ed.
• SRQ Magazine out of Sarasota, Fla., wrote about President Margee Ensign in advance of her Commencement speech at New College, her alma mater.
• Groundbreaking research by Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences Alyson Thibodeau—who used geochemical analysis to overturn more than a century of thought about the source of turquoise used by ancient civilizations in Mesoamerica—was featured in The New York Times’ science section and on The New York Times website. Thibodeau’s work also was featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Archaeology Magazine, Ars Technica, Medium and more than a dozen international news outlets.  
• Professor of Asian Law and Society Neil Diamant discussed skepticism among Chinese Army veterans of a new Ministry of Veterans Affairs for a story in The New York Times.  Additionally, Diamant authored an op-ed on People’s Liberation Army (PLA) veterans for East Asian Forum.
• Professor of History David Commins, one of the foremost experts on Islam and Wahhabism, was interviewed by Vanity Fair for a story on a Saudi film director. It was published in the May issue, which is available now.
• The Kilauea volcano eruption led national media directly to volcanologist and Professor of Earth Sciences Ben Edwards. His expert analysis appeared in articles by Men’s Health, NBC News, USA Today, Gizmodo and Earther. He also was interviewed by NPR member stations KJZZ (Phoenix) and WITF (Harrisburg, Pa.).
• Four opinion pieces authored by Associate Professor of Philosophy Crispin Sartwell were published in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. 
• Professor of Psychology Marie Helweg-Larsen discussed the link between Danish happiness and the cultural construct, hygge, on The Academic Minute, which aired on WAMC and was featured in Inside Higher Ed.
• Professor of Psychology Marie Helweg-Larsen discussed the psychology of human behavior in queues—the focus of her previous research involving lines at a U2 concert—for a video feature by The Guardian. 
• Live Science interviewed Prof. Scott Boback—science writers’ go-to expert for all stories related to snakes—for a report on a decapitated snake that bit a man in Texas.
• National Geographic spoke to Associate Professor of Biology Scott Boback for a story on a rare python attack in Indonesia.
• Associate Professor of East Asian Studies Shawn Bender was interviewed by OZY for a story on the growing numbers of Japanese youth moving from urban to rural areas.   
• WGN-TV Chicago reported on new research findings by Associate Professor of Psychology Anthony Rauhut and Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Meredith Curran-Rauhut involving the study of the female hormone estradiol in mice and its link to increased anxiety during methamphetamine withdrawal. 
• Professor of Creative Writing Susan Perabo's “When Mothers Bully Back,” was the featured essay for the Modern Love podcast, which is based on The New York Times’ weekly column of the same name. Perabo’s essay was originally published in the Times’ Modern Love column in March 2017. Each week, a celebrity reads a beloved essay from the archives. The piece was voiced by Emmy-nominated actress Ellie Kemper.  
• Phys.org and Inverse reported on research by Professor of Chemistry Cindy Samet and her students that was published recently in the Journal of Chemical Education. Their work expanded what is known about the ability of fruit and vegetable peels to remove pollutants from water.
• Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies Nina Barzachka’s essay, “Austria Now Holds the E.U. Presidency. Expect a Tougher Stance on Immigration,” was published in The Washington Post (Monkey Cage).
• Associate Professor of American Studies Cotten Seiler authored an op-ed about Green Books, motoring guidebooks published for African-American travelers, for The Conversation. Seiler wrote, “Although they ceased publication some 50 years ago, the guidebooks are worth reflecting on in light of the fact that for drivers of color, the road remains anything but open.”
• In The Washington Times, Assistant Professor of Political Science David O’Connell analyzed the potential for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to run for president.
• The appointment of Vice President for Student Life George Stroud was announced in The Chronicle of Higher Education and in The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. 
• The Washington Post highlighted Dickinson’s food studies program in a round-up of new majors. 
• The cleantech-focused website Clean Technica reported on Dickinson’s new 12-acre Tesla Solar Farm.
• Stephen M. Smith ’92’s May 20 Commencement address was highlighted by Entrepreneur magazine among the “gems of wisdom” offered to the Class of 2018.

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Published September 14, 2018