Klingenstein Center, Teachers College, Columbia University’s Post

Now most people know me for my science communication talks such as "The Black Heroes of Mathematics", "The Mathematics that can stop an AI Apocalypse", "Mathematics is indisputably the Greatest Subject in the World" and even "Saving Aston Villa". However, at the moment, I am developing my new talk called "Treating Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as a Science Problem!" . In 2025, I will be jumping right into the deep end with my biggest venue yet! #TheRoyalInstitution #Discourse lecture. For this my title has the broader theme - "A mathematician's journey for social justice" Great to see you there! Institute of Mathematics and its Applications #BritishScienceAssociation https://lnkd.in/eMB8vcqw

On feminist materialist posthuman theory - @Taylor_C_A and colleagues: How might living theory help us produce knowledge which is more fluid, responsive and attentive? How can we be more response-able to the entanglements and commitments our research entails? #EduSci #EERA_NW13 http://ow.ly/ybYV30sIbiZ

Anecdotally, well over a third of students say they self-censor in class and on assignments. Whether perception or reality, they believe their views not only won't be accepted, but may meet with harsh or humiliating words, or grade penalties. This is a very serious concern for the whole enterprise of education. Particularly in the humanities and social sciences, if students are not admitting their authentic views and beliefs into the classroom--regardless of the reason--it means we are not engaging the real person. Worse, it means we may be unwittingly reinforcing the very dangerous lesson that success is about faking conformity to earn and protect short-term rewards. This breaks my heart as an educator and administrator. Trust-building and candid attention to how and why we must have "crucial conversations" are now prerequisites to a meaningful educational experience for a large portion of the students we serve. They are also some of the most essential "life" and "leadership" skills we can inculcate to make the world better.

Any research on implications of #tech and #AI is a "hot button" issue societally, for democracy, and for our collective futures. Having worked in Universities and experienced this #censorship directly at one University (prevented from publishing) and indirectly from another (you won't get ARC grants if you are critical of Robodebt), Universities should disclose all tech funding sources. This disclosure should include Open Philanthropy, which is a stalking horse for tech bro values and silencing many in my field: https://lnkd.in/g8xNDAcY

I seen this post on X last night. It was the usual "academia is woke" narrative from a renowned right-wing account that claims often to be objective. The attempt here, of course, as always, was an attempt to devalue and dismiss the importance of scientific research which explores society. However, in many ways, it revealed the opposite of what was intended. Because actually, until the 1970s, the academy was filled with upper-class white men. It was in this period, where the working class started to gain access. We learned how to research, we studied the class system, and we realised the systemic oppression we as a class were facing. So, in reality, what these charts reveal, is not how "woke" academia has become, but instead, how elitist-driven it was before the 1970s. The other things we see in the post are all in context of societal changes and recognition of inequality. Consider this: Homophobia: Pride Riots Antisemitism: WWII Racism: Civil Rights Islamophobia: Iraq & 9/11 Sexism: reflects females access to academia and the second wave of feminism. So, what we recognise is pivotal changes in society, often brought through conflict, and discussed and addressed in academia. This is very much the point of what academia is about: what happened, who was involved, what can we learn about it, how can we ensure such issues do not rise again as a consequence of inequality. So, the fact is, the data is fine. Academia, is fine. The upper classes, and those on the right who have benefitted from inequality for such a long time, just don't like what the working class or these other marginalised groups have to say, now we're in the spaces they used to dominate!

Any research on implications of #tech and #AI is a "hot button" issue societally, for democracy, and for our collective futures. Always follow the money - great piece by Monique Mann and @Jake Goldenfein: https://lnkd.in/gXPzVUun Having worked in Universities and experienced this #censorship directly at one University (prevented from publishing) and indirectly from another (you won't get ARC grants if you are critical of Robodebt), Universities should disclose all tech funding sources. This disclosure should include Open Philanthropy, which is a stalking horse for tech bro values and silencing many in my field: https://lnkd.in/g8xNDAcY

Nice productive day today working on my PhD in a sunny (and very quiet) Edge Hill University Business School. Finally managed to get a full copy of the Wolfenden Report (1957) which started to road to decriminalisation - really interesting read so far. Also very thankful to the Catalyst team for ordering me a copy of James and John by Chris Bryant - a fascinating story that we should all know about! #PhDlife #phdreseacher #ukacademia #academic #doctoratestudy #lgbtresearch #queerresearch

In 2024, the Annenberg Civics Knowledge Survey found that the majority of U.S. adults cannot name most of the rights protected under the First Amendment. Only 65% of American adults could name all three branches of government, and 15% could not name a single branch. Thus, as we barrel into 2025, Missouri Humanities is turning our focus from science to civics. Civics empower individuals to understand how their government functions, enabling them to engage in the democratic process and contribute to society. Funding for civic learning is alarmingly inadequate in our country today. According to the Carnegie Corporation, the United States invests just 5 cents in civic education for every 50 dollars that goes to education in science, technology, engineering, and math subjects. https://lnkd.in/gK5QqheR

In 2024, my team researched, wrote, and edited more than 25,000 words on political theory, taking an academic field often detached from modern day politics and showing how these philosophical ideas shed light on our world today. More than 25,000 words on sexual education, including often avoided topics like porn, kink, and consent. More than 45,000 words on religions, including its challenging intersections with colonialism, race, and gender. And more than 50,000 words on Native American history, not shying away from complex topics like federal Indian law or difficult truths like assimilationist boarding schools. Each script has every bit of the depth of a New Yorker or Atlantic article; each is grounded in dozens of academic sources; and yet each is also accessible and engaging for high schoolers. In fact, recent research from the American Historical Association shows our resources are used in classrooms in every state, even more so than a number of federally funded programs combined. The hat reads “don’t talk about us at the dinner table,” but in truth, we hope you do! In an age where information is abundant but high-quality information harder to come by, I couldn’t be prouder to lead the Crash Course editorial team. Want to support our work? Crowdsourcing plays a huge role in our operating budget each year: https://lnkd.in/ePEHtJz6.

While conducting research in recent years, Hil Malatino, associate professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and philosophy and Joyce L. and Douglas S. Sherwin Early Career Professor in the Penn State Rock Ethics Institute, increasingly realized that a vast trove of archival documents devoted to trans history had yet to be unearthed and analyzed by contemporary scholars. bit.ly/thsmfgHM That insight eventually led Hil to conceive the project, “Widening the Arc of Trans History: Archival Research for Public Storytelling,” which recently received a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. Hil and two co-directors are currently selecting a cohort of 8–10 early-career trans scholars to collaborate with them on the 3-year project.    “There is no shortage of trans or trans-adjacent archival material, but there is definitively a shortage of time and research support for early career trans studies scholars in the humanities interested in doing extensive archivally based scholarship,” Hil said. “The issue is one of access and mentorship, rather than scarcity of material. While significant moves have been made to democratize access, it remains the case that most material is only viewable in person.”   Congratulations to Hil and colleagues!  👏 Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network Penn State Research #PennState #PSULiberalArts #TransStudies #Research #MellonGrant