News from the School of IAS

Denise Vaughan interviewed by KING5 on vice presidential debate

IAS faculty member Denice Vaughan was interviewed by Seattle’s KING5 for a segment titled “What to expect in Tuesday's VP Debate.” “I think it's going to be a little boring, and in a good way,” said Vaughan in the segment that aired last night. “They cannot mess up. They need to do well, and that’s the only bar. So, if they do exceptionally well, whatever…but if they do poorly, it could be awful.”

October 4, 2016

Ben Gardner selected as a speaker in Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau

IAS faculty member Ben Gardner was selected as a speaker in Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, 2017-2018. Humanities Washington sparks conversation and critical thinking using story as a catalyst, nurturing thoughtful and engaged communities across Washington state. The roster of 31 Speakers Bureau presenters is made up of professors, artists, activists, historians, performers, journalists, and others—all chosen not only for their expertise, but also for their ability to inspire discussion with people of all ages and backgrounds. Gardner’s presentation ...

October 4, 2016

Amaranth Borsuk performs and speaks in New York and Colorado

IAS faculty member Amaranth Borsuk was recently in New York to take part in an event at legendary art nonprofit The Kitchen: "Electronic Literature Organization: We Have Always Been Digital." The afternoon of new media writing included established and emerging artists whose born-digital work spans apps, augmented reality, bots, generative poetry, live writing, video, and even work for the Amazon Echo. Hosted and curated by artist Illya Szilak, the event included Abraham Avnisan, John Cayley, David Clark, Caitlin Fisher, Ian Hatcher, Porpentine Charity Heartscape, Flourish Klink, Tan Lin, Nick Montfort, Kia Miakka Natisse, and Allison Parrish. Borsuk also ...

September 28, 2016

Dan Berger participates in roundtable on prisoner organizing and publishes in Black Power 50

IAS faculty member Dan Berger participated in a roundtable discussion for Process, the blog of the Organization of American Historians, on prisoner organizing in the 1960s and 1970s. The three-part roundtable discussed the history of prisoner organizing, research methods for those studying the history of prisons and prisoners, and the relevance of this history and scholarship on contemporary criminal justice policy. Berger also ...

September 23, 2016

Rob Turner presents Pedagogy for Change at the Just Sustainability Conference

IAS faculty member Rob Turner presented at the Just Sustainability Conference at Seattle University on August 9, 2016. The talk, “Pedagogy for Change: Effects of Sustainability Engagement on Student Attitudes, Values and Beliefs,” examined shifts in student environmental perspectives and cultural worldviews in 4 courses based on responses to survey instruments completed at the beginning and end of each course. In 2 of the courses ...

September 16, 2016

Yolanda Padilla publishes Bridges, Borders, and Breaks: History, Narrative and Nation in Twenty-First Century Chicana/o Literary Criticism

IAS faculty member Yolanda Padilla published a volume of critical essays that she co-edited titled Bridges, Borders, and Breaks: History, Narrative and Nation in Twenty-First Century Chicana/o Literary Criticism. The essays reveal how "Chicana/o" defines a literary critical sensibility as well as a political one, and show how this view can yield new insights about the status of Mexican Americans, the legacies of colonialism, and the ongoing prospects for social justice.

September 16, 2016

David Doyle becomes City of Seattle’s new Open Data Program Manager

Last week Master of Arts in Policy Studies alum David Doyle (’15) began a new venture as City of Seattle’s Open Data Program Manager. His primary focus is continuing the implementation of Seattle’s open data policy, which involves coordinating efforts across all City departments to accelerate the publishing of high value datasets into http://data.seattle.gov. In February 2016, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray signed an Executive Order directing all City data to be "open by preference," meaning City departments should make their data accessible to the public after screening for privacy, security, and quality considerations. A Microsoft employee for 18 years, David credits the Policy Studies program as key in his transition to public service. Describing his trajectory, David writes:

September 13, 2016

Shannon Cram publishes and speaks on nuclear energy, work, and politics

IAS faculty member Shannon Cram published "Living in Dose: Nuclear Work and the Politics of Permissible Exposure" in Public Culture. Informed by her ethnographic and policy work at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Cram's article traces the historical development and embodied practice of "permissible dose" in U.S. nuclear industry. She considers the deeply political ways that worker exposure facilitates nuclear production and examines how "safe" has become synonymous with "safe enough" at Hanford. She also ...

September 8, 2016