Maxwell School News and Commentary
New Handbook Co-Edited by Anthropologist Bhan Provides Comprehensive Perspective on Kashmir Dispute
Mona Bhan, professor of anthropology and Ford-Maxwell Professor of South Asian Studies, co-edited and was a contributing author to the “The Palgrave Handbook of New Directions in Kashmir Studies” (Palgrave, 2023).
Heather Law Pezzarossi Quoted in New York Times Article on Washoe Basket Weaver Louisa Keyser
Heather Law Pezzarossi, assistant professor of anthropology, argues that our contemporary arguments over cultural appropriation are misapplied to Louisa Keyser’s baskets. “Authenticity is a completely Western, American fixation we’ve mapped onto this concept of indigeneity to make it part of an American past, not an American future,” she says.
See related: Native American, Social Justice, United States
Faculty Lead Partnerships to Support Ukrainian Veterans, Strengthen European and US Security
James Baker and Robert Murrett are leading academic partners in the newly formed US-Ukraine Veterans Bridge—Baker additionally leads a network of frontline state scholars.
See related: Conflict, Global Governance, National Security, Russia, Ukraine
Huber Weighs In on United Auto Workers Strike in The Hill
“The UAW…strike action is ultimately trying to realize one of the Biden Administration’s core policy goals and political selling points: you can have good, family-sustaining union jobs alongside climate action. The problem is the automakers see EV production as a way to trim labor costs and shift production to non-union plants,” says Matt Huber, professor of geography and the environment.
See related: Energy, Environment, Income, Labor, United States
Action anthropology and public policy change: Lead poisoning in Syracuse, NY
"Action anthropology and public policy change: Lead poisoning in Syracuse, NY," co-authored by Distinguished Professor of Anthropology Robert Rubinstein, was published in the Annals of Anthropological Practice.
See related: Black, Children, Adolescents, Disability, Education, Housing, New York State, U.S. Health Policy
Benanav Talks to CNBC About AI and the Future of Work
“I think about academics having to write grants all the time,” says Aaron Benanav, assistant professor of sociology, as an example. Those can be formulaic and would take far less time with the help of a machine. In programming, it’s helping engineers “write up basic outlines of code or sometimes like whole sections of code,” he says.
See related: Autonomous Systems, United States
McFate Speaks with USA Today About the War in Ukraine
"Things are going nowhere for Ukraine," says Sean McFate, adjunct professor in Maxwell's Washington Programs. "Wars are no longer won like World War II by taking the enemy’s land, killing their troops and flying your flag over their capital."
See related: Conflict, Defense & Security, Government, International Affairs, Russia, Ukraine, United States
Hammond Discusses New Book, “Placing Islam,” in UC Press Blog and in Jadaliyya Article
"One initial impetus for the book was my desire to bring geography’s concepts and insights into better conversation with topics in Middle East area studies," says Timur Hammond, assistant professor of geography and the environment. "Although over a decade has passed since I started research on this topic, expanding the disciplinary connections between geography and Middle East area studies continues to be a core goal."
See related: Middle East & North Africa, Religion
Lerner Center and Maxwell X Lab Join Sheriff’s Office to Reduce Illicit Drugs’ Impact
Supported by a $1.2 million federal grant, they will evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and recovery services for those who’ve been incarcerated.
See related: Addiction, Grant Awards, New York State, Opioids
Coplin Examines the Approach to Liberal Arts Education in New Book
Bill Coplin, professor of policy studies, has written “The Path to Equity: Inclusion in the Kingdom of Liberal Arts” (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023). In the book, Coplin argues that the approach to liberal arts education that prioritizes academic scholarship and learning for its own sake does not fully equip students with the practical, career-oriented skills for which many people enter college.
See related: Education, United States