This February, UBC Arts faculty were featured in major outlets including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, BBC, and The Guardian. Their expertise informed stories on topics ranging from energy policy to Heated Rivalry, and Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance.
Department of Anthropology
What the Jeffrey Epstein files reveal about how elites trade toxic gifts and favours
Prof. Hugh Gusterson analyzed newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents to show how networks of gifts, favours, and financial exchanges bind together political, corporate, cultural, and academic elites.
The Conversation
Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions
Misinformation surges after Tumbler Ridge mass shooting
Dr. Heidi Tworek discussed how the lack of immediate official information allowed misinformation and hateful narratives to spread on social media, leading to real-world harm.
The Province; Vancouver Sun; CHCH
Canadian politicians are being sold AI-powered civilian patrols
Dr. Chris Tenove discussed the misuse of AI and explained how stronger regulations are required for individual privacy.
National Observer
Department of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies
Thanks to Bad Bunny, Puerto Rican Spanish has gone global. But what makes the dialect different?
Dr. Ramón Antonio Victoriano-Martinez celebrated the global appeal of Caribbean Spanish in light of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance.
CBC
Department of Geography
Will Canada’s new auto strategy put as many EVs on the road as Carney says?
Dr. Simon Donner argued that Canada’s new electric vehicle strategy undermines our climate goals.
CBC
Canada not on track to meet any climate targets, study finds
Dr. Simon Donner argued that even under best-case assumptions, Canada is unlikely to meet its emissions targets without significant new climate policies.
The Globe and Mail
Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice
Heated Rivalry as an example of Canadian soft power
Dr. JP Catungal talked about how Heated Rivalry is a type of Canadian soft power.
CBC On the Coast (radio interview); The Jas Johal Show (podcast)
‘More popular than Taylor Swift’: Inside the ‘Heated Rivalry’ frenzy taking over Toronto
Dr. JP Catungal commented on the recent community-building phenomenon spawned by Canadian TV hit Heated Rivalry.
Toronto Star
School of Creative Writing
Whitney French’s Syncopation a dystopian novel in verse
UBC Creative Writing professor Whitney French discussed her debut work of fiction, a dystopian love story told in verse that explores memory, power, and Black futures.
The Vancouver Sun
School of Journalism, Writing, and Media
The blurring line between journalism and activism is being used as a cudgel
Dr. Peter Klein, director of the Global Reporting Centre, wrote an op-ed analyzing a recent trend within journalism that conflates reporting with activism.
The Globe and Mail
School of Music
Bad Bunny’s Sign Language Interpreter Will Make Super Bowl History, Too
Dr. Anabel Maler discussed the universal appeal of Bad Bunny’s sign language interpreter at the Super Bowl.
The New York Times
Department of Political Science
Trump administration scraps legal basis for climate regulation in U.S.
Dr. Kathryn Harrison remarked on the Trump administration’s approach to the Environmental Protection Agency.
CBC
Critical minerals an ‘ace’ in Canada’s hand ahead of trade negotiations
Dr. Michael Byers analyzed how Canada’s critical minerals will affect trade relations with the U.S.
National Observer
Canada and France open Greenland consulates after Trump demands
Dr. Michael Byers discussed the important connections between Greenland and Arctic Canada.
BBC News
BC Government hints at major cuts in upcoming budget
Dr. Stewart Prest commented on how the upcoming budget could alienate current supporters of the NDP.
CTV News
OneCity’s progressive primary plan described as ‘ultimatum’ by left-leaning Vancouver parties
Dr. Stewart Prest commented on OneCity’s plan for a progressive primary ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
CTV
The United States’ intervention in Venezuela and its implications for Canada
Dr. Maxwell Cameron shared his insights on the situation in Venezuela and its impact in Canada.
The Ubyssey
Vancouver council greenlights police training academy despite concerns over funding and location
Stewart Prest comments on the VPD’s decision to use the Woodwards building as its new training academy.
CTV
Department of Philosophy
The Dry January Hangover
Dr. Edward Slingerland discussed cultural attitudes toward alcohol and risk, drawing on insights from his 2021 book Drunk which explores the history and social role of drinking.
The New Yorker
Department of Psychology
Inside voice: what can our thoughts reveal about the nature of consciousness?
Dr. Kalina Christoff Hadjiilieva discussed her research into how the unconscious affects our conscious thoughts.
The Guardian
Tumbler Ridge tragedy: How social media ‘becomes the story’ in major news events
Dr. Amori Mikami said some events are “so emotional and raw” they bond people beyond the boundaries of geography.
Vancouver Sun
The science of soulmates: Is there someone out there exactly right for you?
A 1993 study by Prof. Emeritus Donald Dutton and Susan Painter on traumatic bonding and attachments in abusive relationships was cited.
BBC
School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
The Trump Administration’s Favorite Nuclear Startup Has Ties to Russia and Epstein
Dr. Allison Macfarlane, former chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and director of UBC’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, cautioned that startups promoting small nuclear reactors face major economic and technical hurdles.
Mother Jones
Keeping Canada’s options open on nuclear weapons is not as simple as it sounds
Dr. Allison Macfarlane and Dr. Hugh Gusterson wrote an op-ed analyzing whether Canada should acquire nuclear weapons.
The Globe and Mail
Getting Canada’s nuclear waste to repository eyed for Ontario’s northwest a key concern as public weighs in
Dr. M.V. Ramana criticized the omission of nuclear waste transportation during the nuclear power plan impact assessment process.
CBC
Fate of US trade deal post tariff takedown
Dr. Amartya Lahiri co-authored an article on India’s approach to the trade deal with the USA following recent decisions made by the Supreme Court of the USA (SCOTUS).
Hindustan Times
The United States’ intervention in Venezuela and its implications for Canada
Dr. Maxwell Cameron shared insights into how the recent Venezuela intervention may affect Canada.
The Ubyssey
Department of Sociology
B.C. marks Day of Mourning after Tumbler Ridge mass shooting
Dr. Seth Arbutyn commented on the importance of mourning rituals as communities held vigils and memorials for Tumbler Ridge.
City News
Department of Theatre and Film
Dr. Ji-yoon An investigates cinema’s monstrous others and what they can tell us about ourselves
Dr. Ji-yoon An was interviewed on her research into cinematic monsters offer insights into our lives.
The Ubyssey
Vancouver School of Economics
Stablecoins, the new kid on the crypto block, may be killing Bitcoin
Dr. Paul Beaudry and Dr. Amartya Lahiri wrote an op-ed discussing how the rise of Stablecoins may be lowering the value of Bitcoins.
Globe and Mail
Looking for a job? Here’s where unemployment is highest and lowest in B.C.
Dr. Giovanni Gallipoli described how workers in cities like Vancouver and Victoria are relatively insulated from job losses.
CBC
