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Jordan’s King Abdullah has promised revenge on the Islamic State (IS), following a video released Tuesday, February 3 that shows a Jordanian air force pilot being burned alive in a locked cage by IS fighters. Jordan, however, should not strive to imitate the Islamic State’s barbaric actions, no matter how justified its outrage, according to Ebrahim Moosa, professor of Islamic studies in the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.

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Hong Kong marked China’s National Day (October 1) in unprecedented fashion, as pro-democracy protesters crowded the streets of the Asian financial hub for what is being called a critical day in the territory’s “Umbrella Revolution.” University of Notre Dame political scientist and Hong Kong native Victoria Hui has worked in the democracy movement there. She says it is unlike any other.

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As the Islamic State extremist group, commonly referred to as ISIS, shocks the world with its brutality and takes control of more territory in the region, Michael Desch, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, says the U.S. should take ISIS seriously and stop its progress, but not panic. “ISIS is a serious local threat in Syria and Iraq, but does not yet pose a direct threat to the United States,” says Desch, an expert on international security and American foreign and defense policies. “While the presence of Western nationals in their ranks is worrisome, they have the greatest potential to do mischief in the weak states in the region, two of which we have created in Syria and Iraq with ill-advised policies.”

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Government authorities in southeast China are continuing what local church leaders call a campaign against Christianity—knocking down crosses and razing sanctuaries at dozens of churches in the Zhejiang province. Christianity has grown so rapidly, it’s viewed as a threat by the Communist government, according to Lionel Jensen, associate professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Notre Dame.

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In January 2009, Barack Obama assumed the U.S. presidency in the midst of the most severe recession since the great depression of the 1930s. While many Americans hoped the new administration would take an active role in providing relief for those harmed by the economic collapse, a “Tea Party” movement emerged to oppose Obama’s agenda.

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President Barack Obama on Friday (July 18) began building a case that would blame separatist forces supported by Russia for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over Ukraine on July 17. Obama said one American was among the nearly 300 killed and that evidence indicates the jet was shot down by a surface-to-air missile from an area controlled by Russian-backed separatists.

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Most people are familiar with the “trophy wife” stereotype that attractive women marry rich men, placing little importance on their other traits, including physical appearance, and that men look for pretty wives but don’t care about their education or earnings. New research, however, by University of Notre Dame sociologist Elizabeth McClintock shows the trophy wife stereotype is largely a myth fueled by selective observation that reinforces sexist stereotypes and trivializes women’s careers.

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The University of Notre Dame on Tuesday (June 10) announced that it has joined the edX Consortium as a charter member. A not-for-profit partnership of leading global universities, edX is committed to innovations in online and blended learning, improving access to education, and researching effective learning for use on and beyond college campuses.

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As the world marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that led to the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Michael Desch, professor and chair of political science at the University of Notre Dame, reflects on this day in history and draws a connection to the current Ukraine crisis.

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Crowds are gathering in China on Wednesday (June 4) to mark the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, during which soldiers in Beijing killed hundreds of students, workers and professionals peacefully seeking greater democracy and limits on corruption. Lionel Jensen, associate professor of East Asian languages and cultures at the University of Notre Dame, says the country continues to struggle with the same problems that provoked those protests.

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A person wielding a gun focuses more intently on the face of an opponent with a gun, presumably to try to determine that person’s likelihood of pulling the trigger, according to a new study that builds on gun-in-hand research from the University of Notre Dame.

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The International Criminal Court yesterday sentenced former Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga to 14 years in prison for using children as soldiers in his rebel army—the first sentence handed down by the world’s only permanent war crimes tribunal. “The criminal prosecution of Lubanga does not go far enough for international justice,” according to Daniel Philpott, associate professor of political science and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame.

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Twelve College of Arts and Letters faculty members have received 2012 Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and one was honored with a Dockweiler Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.

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Some of the world’s leading scholars across a variety of relevant disciplines are visiting the University of Notre Dame for a week-long “Workshop on Adult and Non-embryonic Stem Cell Research,” being held on campus through July 2.

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“Most people who are interested in the Troubles focus on the 4,000 deaths,” says Christian Davenport, professor of peace studies, political science and sociology at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. “I thought much of the story was being missed.” An expert on political conflict, human rights violations, genocide, and government repression, Davenport for the past five years has been using quantitative research methods to study the ethno-political conflict that took place in Northern Ireland between 1968 and 1998.

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Twelve College of Arts and Letters faculty members have received Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and one was honored with a Dockweiler Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.

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As bloody clashes continue in Libya between government forces and anti-regime protesters, Robert Johansen, professor of political science and senior fellow at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, says establishing a “humanitarian corridor” in an area of Libya already under opposition control would provide a nonviolent, inexpensive way to save lives.

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The recent leak of Palestinian documents pertaining to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations adds to the wave of other leaks of documents that have captured exaggerated attention, according to Asher Kaufman, associate professor of history and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame. “However, this may mark the first time Palestinian leadership was officially willing to reconcile with leaving certain communities under Israeli rule.”

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The University of Notre Dame Band has been awarded the 2011 Sudler Trophy, recognizing “collegiate marching bands of particular excellence that have made outstanding contributions to the American way of life.” The trophy was presented Dec. 17 during the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.

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R. Scott Appleby, Notre Dame history professor and John M. Regan, Jr., Director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, dispels misconceptions spread by people caught up in a wave of suspicion fueled by the mosque controversy in New York City, a Florida church’s plan to burn copies of the Qu’ran, and Muslims’ worries over the 9/11 anniversary coinciding with Ramadan celebrations.

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The University of Notre Dame is ranked No. 1 on a list compiled by Bloomberg of undergraduate colleges attended by chief executive officers of the 100 largest U.S. financial firms. Notre Dame educated five of the top 100 CEOs, including James Rohr of PNC Financial Services Group and Debra Cafaro of Ventas Inc., one of only two women in the ranking. Other CEOs include James Flaherty, HCP; Paul Reilly, Raymond James Financial; and Terrence Cavanaugh, Erie Indemnity.

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Assistant Professor Jada Benn Torres uses genetics to research the distribution of diseases across populations, with a primary focus on women’s reproductive health. Notre Dame’s first molecular anthropologist, she recently celebrated the opening of her laboratory, where tools and techniques developed in molecular genetics are brought to bear on anthropological questions.

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Allert Brown-Gort, associate director of the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies, is critical of Arizona’s immigration law that goes into effect next month. The law requires an officer to determine a person’s immigration status if he/she is stopped, detained or arrested and there is “reasonable suspicion” that person is in the U.S. illegally.

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The newly proposed U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran are not weak and watered down but smartly targeted and likely to be effective, according to George A. Lopez, who holds the Hesburgh Chair in Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute and is a faculty member in the Department of Political Science. This year, Lopez serves as a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington D.C., writing a book on the future of sanctions.

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A select group of University of Notre Dame faculty members have received the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Dockweiler Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.

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More than 270 students in diverse majors from across the University of Notre Dame’s colleges will showcase their research, scholarship, and creative endeavors on April 30, 2010, from noon to 6 p.m. at the third annual Undergraduate Scholars Conference. The conference opens in 105 Jordan Hall of Science with an announcement of the winners of the inaugural Library Undergraduate Research Award, two of which will be presenting at the conference.

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Robert Schmuhl, Walter H. Annenberg-Edmund P. Joyce Professor of American Studies and Journalism at the University of Notre Dame, is the editor of a new book that examines both the writer’s art and the role of journalism in American culture. Released this month by Andrews McMeel Publishing, “Making Words Dance: Reflections on Red Smith, Journalism, and Writing,” features lectures by 15 of the country’s most respected journalists and writers, given as part of a Notre Dame lecture series that honors award-winning columnist Walter W. “Red” Smith.

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All of William Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets will be read aloud by Notre Dame administrators, faculty and students during “Sonnet Fest 2010,” a public event that will take place Feb. 10 (Wednesday) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Great Hall of O’Shaughnessy Hall on campus.

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Liberal public policies, such as a state’s level of spending on social programs and the degree to which its economy is subject to political regulation, have strong positive effects on life satisfaction, according to a new book edited by Amitava Dutt and Benjamin Radcliff, professors of economics and political science, respectively.

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Francisco Aragón, director of Letras Latinas, the literary program of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies, has been selected to receive the Outstanding Latino/a Cultural Award in Literary Arts or Publications given by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education.

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