A&S scholars sharing their expertise in the media

From an alarming amount of plastics in the Don River to the politics of the World Series, 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 this week.

October 17

• Department of Psychology professor Geoff MacDonald explains to CNBC online and CNBC online the demographics of single people in the United States, and why men are often less happy being single than women.

October 18

• Enid Slack, director of the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance at the School of Cities, discusses with CBC News and CBC News the challenges and limitations municipal governments face.
• Centre for Industrial Relations & Human Resources professor and director Rafael Gomez comments for the Toronto Star (paywall) on the postal worker union’s appeal to the federal government.
• Department of Political Science professor emeritus Richard Sandbrook tells CBC News online that the “No Tyrants” protests foster long-term solidarity among Americans opposed to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

October 19

• Department of Economics and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy associate professor Peter Morrow suggests to The Globe and Mail (paywall) that engaging with China could be beneficial for Canada amidst economic uncertainty.
• Department of Political Science professor Lynette Ong discusses on Global News the improvement in Canada-China relations after Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand visited Beijing.
• Department of Economics professor Marcin Peski is mentioned in the Toronto Star (paywall) as the co-author of a report analyzing the impact of lottery admissions on student performance.
• Department of Sociology professor Judith Taylor tells NOW Toronto that chivalry should be a genderless practice of everyday kindness.

October 20

• Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies assistant professor Patrick Watson talks to Bell Media Radio about the potential impact of adding security cameras in Vaughan.
• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor Darius Ornston shares with The Globe and Mail (paywall) insights on military spending.

October 21

• Department of Linguistics professor Sali Tagliamonte talks to CBC TV about the use of profanity on TV.
• Department of Political Science PhD student Valérie Kindarji writes in the Montreal Gazette about AI risks.
• Department of Geography & Planning professor and School of Cities Infrastructure Institute director Matti Siemiatycki talks to The Globe and Mail (paywall) about the development of airport sites.
• Department of Mathematics professor Daniel Litt talks to TIME about testing AI tools.
• Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics University Professor Richard Bond co-wins the Shaw Prize in Astronomy, as reported in the South China Morning Post.

October 22

• Department of Statistical Sciences professor Jeffrey Rosenthal talks to CTV News online about Toronto Blue Jays stats.

October 23

• Centre for Industrial Relations & Human Resources professor and director Rafael Gomez comments for the Toronto Star (paywall) on the likelihood of various political party members backing postal workers in the Canada Post labour dispute.
• Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology associate professor Chelsea Rochman and PhD candidate Jacob Harney share new research that shows an alarming amount of plastics in the Don River, as reported by Canadian Press, Canadian Press video, CHCH, Toronto Star (paywall), CBC News, CBC News online, CTV News online and CityNews online.
• Department of Political Science postdoctoral fellow Lewis Krashinsky talks to France24 about the politics of the World Series.
• Department of English professor and provostial advisor on civil discourse Randy Boyagoda argues in the Financial Times (paywall) that civil disagreement at universities should be in the service of advancing knowledge through teaching and research.
• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy professor emeritus Rick Halpern shares insights with USA Today on patriotism in the World Series.
• Department of Philosophy professor Mark Kingwell gives Toronto Star (paywall) readers advice on sharing family secrets.
• Centre for Industrial Relations & Human Resources professor and director Rafael Gomez comments for the Toronto Star (paywall) on municipalities allowing special rules for individual streets.