Media outlets from around the United States continuously turn to the diverse expertise of the over 300 faculty that make up the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). A&S professors regularly comment on ongoing political, educational and scientific issues facing the world today. Our faculty have recently appeared in USA Today, Business Insider, NPR and CNBC, offering valuable insight on topics including the coronavirus pandemic, Black Lives Matter movement and the potential negative fallout from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency’s proposed plan to deport international students whose fall 2020 classes are all online.

CNBC interviewed Kevin Antshel, professor of psychology, on the psychological toll of uncertainty and not knowing what’s coming next in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the article, Antshel says, “The fear of the unknown is possibly the most fundamental fear of human beings. When things don’t make sense, or they run counter to what it typically is, then we experience these high levels of negative feelings.”

Herb Ruffin, associate professor of African American Studies (AAS), was featured in Business Insider, commenting on the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement. He was also quoted in USA Today, on whether resuming or halting the NBA season would help the league’s efforts to fight racial inequality. In an interview with WRVO, a member station of NPR, Ruffin discussed how protests over police brutality bring discussion on systemic racism to the forefront in Central New York. Casarae Lavada Abdul-Ghani, assistant professor in AAS, was quoted in Artnet News on how artists have shaped previous protest movements throughout history.

Five faculty members recently had op-eds published on Syracuse.com:

• Danielle Taana Smith, professor in AAS and director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program, wrote a piece titled, “Racism and the fallacy of a few bad apples;”
• Philip Arnold, associate professor and department chair of religion, along with Sandy Bigtree, of the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne, published the article, “Embrace democratic values. Remove iconic fascist memorials” and;
• Brice Nordquist, associate professor of writing studies, rhetoric and composition and the Dean’s Professor for Community Engagement, had an article published in commemoration of World Refugee Day titled, “On World Refugee Day, celebrate resettled refugees who care for their neighbors.”

Two professors wrote op-eds on the potentially harmful effects of ICE’s move to deport international students who attend remote classes. Sara Burke, assistant professor of psychology, submitted a piece titled, “Deporting international students harms them, their schools and higher education,” and Jennifer Ross, professor and department chair of physics, submitted an article titled, “How NY can protect international students: Keep research going.”