From the Media

March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month and Developmental Disability Awareness Month. For WBUR in Boston, Massachusetts, College of Arts and Sciences Disability Studies Program Director Brian Trapp wrote an essay about his experiences with his twin brother, who had severe cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities.

What are the political implications of "No Kings" rallies? Portland-area TV news outlet KGW interviewed College of Arts and Sciences political scientist Chandler James. According to James, politicians on the 2026 midterm ballot are paying attention to what's happening at the rallies held across the country.

From Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s food pyramid to online influencers, beef has become more than just a source of protein. The New York Times included insight about the history of meat in the US from Hannah Cutting-Jones, a global studies assistant professor at the College of Arts and Sciences Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages.

Mira Schoeberlien, a third-year human physiology doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences, had research reported by the outlet Medical Xpress and shared by MSN news. Schoeberlein’s research found that female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone fluctuations through the menstrual cycle don’t change a woman’s ability to exercise hard — but they do influence how difficult it feels.

L. Zachary DuBois, an associate professor of anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences, writes about how the number of bills directly targeting and undermining the existing legal rights of transgender and nonbinary people in the US has been escalating, with sharp increases since 2021 and with each consecutive year.

The Dallas-based publication D Magazine featured College of Arts and Sciences History Associate Professor Annelise Heinz, who authored "Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture," about a luxury retailer Mahjong Line. The Texas-based company faced backlash for allegations of cultural appropriation in 2021.

In a BBC article covering scientific research that is upending age-old gender stereotypes about empathy, Sara Hodges is featured. Hodges is a psychologist at the College of Arts and Sciences and co-author of a study that proposes that women may show improved empathic accuracy not due to an innate ability, but because they are more motivated to do so by societal expectations.

The online media outlet The Defector spoke with Steven Beda, history associate professor, about organized labor in the outdoors tourism industry. “Workers organizing unions today face a much more challenging legal landscape,” Beda said.

Good Housekeeping reported on a new study by College of Arts and Sciences and SUNY Upstate Medical University researchers on why sleeping in helps teen mental health. The article features study co-author Melynda Casement, associate professor of psychology.

Pakistan-based publication Business Recorder reported on a lecture conducted by Anita Weiss, professor emerita in global studies. According to Weiss, shrines in Pakistan are not just places of worship but also powerful centers that shape everyday life.

Retuers reported on research observing the behavior of a supermassive black hole, quoting one of the study's co-authors, College of Arts and Sciences astrophysicist Yvette Cendes. "It's now about 50 times brighter than when it was first discovered," Cendes said. "This has been going on for years now, and no sign of stopping. That is super unusual."

With the Winter Olympics underway, Financial Times spoke with College of Arts and Sciences human physiologist Mike Hahn, who explains the biomechanics required for alpine skiing and ACL-tear recovery process in elite athletes. He also talked about skiing star Lindsey Vonn, who overcame an ACL tear: “We shouldn't be surprised any more by Lindsey.”

The New York Times included College of Arts and Sciences food studies expert Hannah Cutting-Jones in a roundup of experts about the claim that protein is a nutrient that keeps people satiated. Cutting-Jones said that the idea that protein is uniquely satiating and helpful for weight loss goes back decades.

People generally consume two species of coffee bean — robusta and arabica, explains Christopher Hendon, a College of Arts and Sciences associate professor of chemistry and a leading coffee scientist. Hendon spoke with the Daily Mail about coffee beans.

Across sports like long-distance running, cycling, and triathlon, athletes are using science-backed interventions to push the limits of what the human body can do. Men's Journal interviewed College of Arts and Sciences human physiology researcher Brad Wilkins about which strategies tap into the basic physiological principle of improving the body’s ability to deliver oxygen efficiently.