A&S scholars sharing their expertise in the media

From the U.S. attack on Venezuela to right-wing populism, experts from a range of disciplines across the Faculty of Arts & Science are sharing their expertise on a variety of issues in the media.

Here’s some of what they had to say:

December 19

• Department of Physics professor Paul Kushner comments for the National Observer on government plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado.

December 20

• Department of English professor and provostial advisor on civil discourse Randy Boyagoda writes in The Globe and Mail (paywall) about public sentiment on Catholicism today.
• St. Michael's College associate professor Paolo Granata discusses on CityNews: The Big Story podcast the Oscars being streamed on YouTube.

December 22

• Department of Economics professor Loren Brandt comments for the Wall Street Journal (paywall) on the misallocation of resources in China’s economy.
• Department of Political Science postdoctoral fellow Lewis Krashinsky discusses on CTV News online the content of the Epstein files.
• Centre for Industrial Relations & Human Resources professor Rafael Gomez comments for the Toronto Star (paywall) on the tentative agreement between Canada Post and its union.
• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy senior fellow John Ibbitson writes in The Globe and Mail (paywall) about the need for nation-building in Canada.
• Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies professor N. Scot Wortley tells the Toronto Star (paywall) that while crime in Toronto has dropped, public perception of the city’s safety lags.

December 23

• Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics professor Sara Seager discusses in the Toronto Star (paywall) her return to Toronto from the United States, with mention of Rotman School of Management assistant professor Jacquelyn Pless and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Mark Duggan.
• Department of Psychology PhD candidate Elaine Hoan shares her research with The Globe and Mail (paywall) on why more women are choosing to stay single.
• Department of Political Science PhD candidate Gamal Mansour comments for Al Jazeera online on the ongoing conflict in Syria.
• Department of Geography & Planning professor and School of Cities Infrastructure Institute director Matti Siemiatycki tells CBC News online that Canadian municipalities face sharp property tax increases after years of keeping rates too low.
• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Drew Fagan discusses with Global News how U.S. trade pressure has reshaped Canada–U.S. relations.

December 25

• Department of History professor David Wilson shares with The Globe and Mail (paywall) the story of one of the originators of right-wing American populism, William Cobbett.
• Department of Computer Science professor Eyal de Lara tells The Globe and Mail (paywall) that AI is changing teaching, requiring more complex assignments and frequent testing to ensure students understand their code.

December 26

• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Timothy Snyder writes in Japan Times about AI-generated Christmas music.

December 27

• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Timothy Snyder, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics professor Sara Seager, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Mark Duggan and Rotman School of Management assistant professor Jacquelyn Pless are highlighted in The Globe and Mail (paywall) for leaving the U.S. for Canada due to the Trump administration’s financial cuts.
• Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology assistant professor, teaching stream Shelby Riskin shares with the Toronto Star (paywall) her observations on long-buried seeds and plants at Biidaasige Park that have sprung back to life.

December 29

• Department of Political Science PhD candidate Gamal Mansour comments for Al Jazeera on the recent clashes in coastal Syria.
• Department of Economics PhD student Ben Couillard suggests to the Toronto Star (paywall) that rising home prices and rents in the U.S. contribute to the decline in fertility rates.

December 30

• Department of Geography & Planning professor and School of Cities director Karen Chapple highlights for CTV News online the challenges of insufficient office space and the need for flexibility in returning to the office full-time.

December 31

• Department of Chemistry and Computer Science professor Alán Aspuru-Guzik and Department of Computer Science PhD student Philipp Schleich argue for New Scientist that meaningful advances in quantum chemistry will depend on achieving fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of outperforming classical systems.

January 3

• Department of Political Science assistant professor, teaching stream Donald Kingsbury comment for CTV News, CHCH TV and Le Devoir (paywall) on the U.S. attack on Venezuela.
• Department of Economics professor emeritus Gustavo Indart writes in the Toronto Star (paywall) about potential solutions to Canada’s affordability crisis.

January 5

• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy senior fellow John Ibbitson examines for The Globe and Mail (paywall) Conservative and Liberal responses to the U.S.-Venezuela conflict.
• Department of History associate professor Luis van Isschot comments for Global News online and Global News online on the U.S. attack on Venezuela.
• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Drew Fagan discusses on BNN Bloomberg the upcoming talks on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.

January 6

• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Jason Stanley discusses on PBS: Amanpour & Company the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack.
• Department of Sociology professor Robert Brym studies the negative connotations associated with the word “Zionist” and writes about antisemitism in Canada for the National Post (paywall) and National Post (paywall).
• Munk School founding director Janice Stein talks to CBC Radio: The Current about what’s next after the U.S. raid on Venezuela.

January 7

• Department of Economics professor Kory Kroft shares with The Globe and Mail (paywall) his research on the impact of closed work permits for temporary foreign workers.
• Centre for Industrial Relations & Human Resources sessional lecturer Margaret Yap comments for CHCH News online on Ontario’s new job posting rules.
• Department of Philosophy professor Joseph Heath discusses with the National Post (paywall) the history of separatism in Alberta.
• Department of Political Science and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Lynette Ong suggests in the Toronto Star (paywall) that concerns about China’s human rights should be separate from trade engagement issues.
• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy founder Janice Stein tells The Globe and Mail (paywall) that Canada’s interest in reopening relationships with China must be understood in the context of dealing with an unfriendly United States under Trump’s administration.

January 8

• Department of Geography & Planning professor and School of Cities Infrastructure Institute director Matti Siemiatycki comments for Global News online on Calgary’s chronic underinvestment in its water system.
• Department of Political Science associate professor Seva Gunitsky talks to FOX News online about criminal consequences for ICE agents.
• Trinity College instructor Leanne Toshiko Simpson’s book Never Been Better is highlighted by CBC News online.