The Conversation

Supporting religious diversity on campus is a surprising consensus among faculty across the red-blue divide

Written by Matthew J. Mayhew, Professor of Higher Education, The Ohio State University

University faculty are the most important people influencing student learning, development, persistence and degree attainment. Maskot/Getty Images

Universities, often perceived as bastions of progressive thought, are increasingly reflecting the broader political polarization gripping the nation.

Faculty members represent a university’s core...

When federal courts fail to punish lawyers for potential misconduct, states can step in

Written by Ray Brescia, Associate Dean for Research and Intellectual Life, Albany Law School

James Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, attends a panel discussion in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 2025.Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images

In early August 2025, a federal appeals court in the District of Columbia stopped efforts by federal trial judge James Boasberg to consider whether to hold Trump...

Latin American literature contains warnings for American universities that yield to Trump

Written by Charlotte Rogers, Associate Professor of Spanish, University of Virginia

Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez, who fled Colombia after learning that the government planned to arrest him, returns to his hometown, Aracataca, in 2007 for the first time in 20 years.Alejandra Vega/AFP via Getty Images

As university leaders work to make deals with the Trump administration, many college presidents are at an...

Escaped slaves on St. Croix hid their settlements so well, they still haven’t been found – archaeologists using new mapping technology are on the hunt

Written by Justin Dunnavant, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles

The red square on this 1767 map of St. Croix marks where Danes believed the Maroon settlement was.Paul Kuffner/Royal Danish Library

“For a long time now, a large number of [escaped slaves] have established themselves on lofty Maroon Hill in the mountains toward the west end of the island [of St. Croix]. … They are there protected by...

When the government can see everything: How one company – Palantir – is mapping the nation’s data

Written by Nicole M. Bennett, Ph.D. Candidate in Geography and Assistant Director at the Center for Refugee Studies, Indiana University

Palantir's technology allows government agencies to connect the dots about individuals.Yuichiro Chino/Moment via Getty Images

When the U.S. government signs contracts with private technology companies, the fine print rarely reaches the public. Palantir Technologies, however, has attracted more and more attention over the past decade because of the...

Pregnancy brings unique challenges for people with autoimmune diseases – but with early planning, pregnancy outcomes can be greatly improved

Written by Kristen Demoruelle, Associate Professor of Rheumatology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Early discussions and proactive planning for pregnancy are critically important for those with autoimmune diseases.d3sign/Moment via Getty Images

Only a few decades ago, a diagnosis of lupus could mean giving up the dream of having children. Women with systemic autoimmune diseases like lupus were warned that pregnancy was too risky – both for...

How stripping diversity, equity and inclusion from health care may make Americans sicker

Written by Abigail Folberg, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Nebraska Omaha

The Trump administration has rescinded more than $1 billion in medical research funding, with one major target being research relating to diversity, equity and inclusion. Alina Kotliar/iStock via Getty Images Plus

President Donald Trump’s administration has dramatically reshaped health and medical research by rolling back federal funding from...

Why religious groups are pushing for psychedelics as sacrament

Written by Pardis Mahdavi, Professor of Anthropology, University of La Verne

Congregants at Colorado's first psychedelic church, in Colorado Springs, on Feb. 18, 2025.Jason Connolly/AFP via Getty Images

Texas passed a landmark law in June 2025, supported by former Gov. Rick Perry, that allocates US$50 million to support research on ibogaine, one of the most powerful psychedelics, for treating opioid addiction and...

Trump’s firing of Fed governor threatens central bank independence − and that isn’t good news for sound economic stewardship (or battling inflation)

Written by Ana Carolina Garriga, Professor. Department of Government, University of Essex

The fate of Lisa Cook, who is fighting attempts by President Donald Trump to remove her from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, has huge implications for a keystone of good economic policy: central bank independence.

At the heart of her firing attempt – and other moves to undermine the Fed by the Trump administration – is a...

Trump’s push to fire Fed governor threatens central bank independence − and that isn’t good news for sound economic stewardship (or battling inflation)

Written by Ana Carolina Garriga, Professor. Department of Government, University of Essex

At the heart of her firing attempt – and other moves to undermine the Fed by the Trump administration – is a...