Was status always important to men? Christopher von Rueden, assistant professor of leadership studies at the University of Richmond, details whether hunter-gatherers also cared as much as modern men about their status among the tribe. Dr. Christopher von Rueden looks at leadership through the lens of anthropology. An anthropologist with expertise in small-scale societies, his […]

How do you reduce infections in hospitals? Shannon Hinsa-Leasure, associate professor of biology at Grinnell College, explores whether changing the surfaces you touch may have a benefit. Shannon Hinsa-Leasure is an associate professor of biology and an environmental microbiologist at Grinnell College in Iowa. Her research interests include microbial diversity, antibiotic resistance and genetic exchange, […]

The U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay remains controversial. Christina Frohock, professor of legal writing at the University Of Miami School Of Law, discusses the base from a legal perspective. Professor Frohock earned her B.A. with Honors in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina and her M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan. She […]

Social justice concerns have been ever present in the news. Lori Martin, associate professor in the department of sociology and African American studies at Louisiana State University, discusses the issues that continue to divide the country. I am a native New Yorker. I was born and raised in Nyack, New York, a small town about […]

We hear about The Next Big Earthquake, but what about the one that already happened? Mark Molesky, associate professor in the department of history at Seton Hall University, delves into a tremor of the past. I study a wide range of subjects in modern and early modern European history, with a particular emphasis on intellectual […]

You’ve got body and soul. Or do you? Rafael Narvaez, associate professor of sociology at Winona State University, explores the question of souls and our reality. Rafael Narváez is a sociologist educated in Lima, Peru, and at the New School for Social Research in New York City. His research involves, broadly, the intersections of sociology, […]

We’re losing part of our history. Andrew Wood, professor of communication studies at San Jose State University, details a small part of Americana that’s becoming a thing of the past. Dr. Wood has authored or co-authored books on internet communication, reality television, roadside Americana, and the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair. His 2009 book City […]

Signs of discrimination can be subtle. Mary Murphy, assistant professor of psychology at Indiana University, delves into how women in STEM fields can feel marginalized. Dr. Murphy is an assistant professor in Indiana University Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and principle investigator of the Mind and Identity in Context Lab […]

Every day you’re becoming more and more like the people who are around you. Jack Gilbert, professor in the department of surgery  at the University of Chicago, details how the sharing of bacteria from person to person could make us healthier in the long run. Professor Jack A Gilbert earned his Ph.D. from Unilever and […]

Do the clothes make the man? Michael Kraus, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Yale University, examines how what you wear can affect your job performance and social status. Professor Kraus’ research interest include how people perceive and explain the attainment of social status, how these status perceptions influence emotions and behavior in both cooperative and competitive settings, and […]