Biology and Politics

There is some very interesting research going on in our Department of Political Science on Biology and Politics. To quote from a National Science Foundation news release of last Friday. "People who react more strongly to bumps in the night, spiders on a human body or the sight of a shell-shocked victim are more likely to support public policies that emphasize protecting society over preserving individual privacy. That's the conclusion of a recent study by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Their research results appear in the Sept. 19 issue of Science magazine."

This story has been picked up my media outlets around the world. Prof. John Hibbing, political science, is the lead investigator on this project. The study's co-authors at UNL are Prof. Kevin Smith, political science, Prof. Mario Scalora, psychology; and Doug Oxley, Matthew Hibbing and Jennifer Miller, graduate students. Additional co-authors are John Alford, Rice University political science professor, and Peter Hatemi, Virginia Commonwealth University postdoctoral fellow.

This research is another example of some of the outstanding cutting-edge research going on at UNL! Please join me in congratulating Prof. Hibbing and his co-authors. BRAVO!

Two new humanities grants

To quote from a UNL news release of last week. "Two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities will support digital humanities research projects at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Kenneth Price, University Professor and Hillegass Chair of 19th-Century American Literature, and Mark Awakuni-Swetland, assistant professor of anthropology and ethnic studies, recently received major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities."

Particularly noteworthy is that Prof. Awakuni-Swetland's project is a "We the People" grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEH uses this title to highlight model projects in American history and culture. This is Prof. Awakuni-Swetland's first major grant. Prof. Price, on the other hand is a senior scholar with a long history of grant funding. These are impressive projects with large potential payoffs.

Professor Awakuni-Swetland's award is for $348,000 and funds come the National Science Foundation and the Smithonian in addition to the National Endowment for the Humanites (NEH). Prof. Price's grant is for $300,000 and is from NEH. These are very large grants for the humanities. BRAVO!