Newswise — Media reporters and editors seeking experts on current events may contact Williams College faculty directly. Below is a list of phone numbers, with faculty members' names and web addresses.
AfghanistanEdwards, David B.; Carl W. Vogt, '58, Professor of AnthropologyEdwards is director of the Williams Afghan Media Project, a website dedicated to preserving and making available resources on Afghanistan and its people. He is also the author of "Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad" (University of California Press, 2002) and "Heroes of the Age: Moral Fault Lines Along the Afghan Frontier" (University of California Press, 2002). His major research interests include political and historical anthropology, with a focus on violence and culture.
http://www.williams.edu/AnthSoc/dedwards.htm
Arab worldLynch, Marc; assistant professor of political scienceLynch is frequently contacted for opinions on international relations questions, especially those pertaining to the Middle East. He studies the role of deliberation and public spheres in international relations, with a primary empirical focus on the Middle East. Lynch is also the author of "State Interests and Public Spheres: The International Politics of Jordan's Identity" (1999, Columbia University Press). His recent articles "Taking Arabs Seriously" appeared in Foreign Affairs. At Williams, he teaches courses such as "State Formation and Nationalism in the Middle East," "Arab-Israeli Relations," "International Security," and "The Future of World Politics." (http://www.williams.edu/PoliSci/lynch.htm
Architecture, modern (Ground Zero and World War II Memorial)Lewis, Michael; chair and associate professor of artLewis is an expert on modern architecture ranging from memorials to new student centers. His opinion has frequently been solicited regarding the 9/11 and World War II memorials and his article "How to Avoid a 9/11 Memorial Disaster" appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Among the books authored by Lewis are "American Art and Architecture, 1600 to present" and "Architecture 1700-1900" at Williams.
http://www.williams.edu/Art/faculty/facultySlides/Lewis/lewis.html
Artificial IntelligenceDanyluk, Andrea; associate professor of computer scienceDanyluk's research focuses on machine learning; she studies the effects of noise and systematic data error on empirical learning, the evaluation of learning algorithms, and theory revision via machine learning. At Williams she teaches "Artificial Intelligence" and "Artificial Intelligence: Image and Reality." She recently co-chaired the Eighteenth International Conference on Machine Learning and serves on several boards relating to machine learning.
http://www.cs.williams.edu/~andrea/
Asia and world politicsCrane, George (Sam); professor of political scienceCrane's opinion on Chinese politics and East Asian international relations is found published in numerous newspapers including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. His research focuses on economic nationalism in China and Taiwan. At Williams, he teaches "Asia and the World" and "The International Politics of East Asia."
http://www.williams.edu/PoliSci/crane.htm
AstronomyPasachoff, Jay; Field Memorial Professor of AstronomyPasachoff, one of the nationals foremost experts in Astronomy, specializes in studying the sun at total solar eclipses, examining coronal heating and linking eclipse observations with views of the solar corona from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. He also studies cosmic deuterium and its relation to cosmology.
http://www.williams.edu/Astronomy/jpasachoff/
Kwitter, Karen; chair and Ebenezer Fitch Professor of AstronomyKwitter, who was recently awarded a grant to use with the Hubble telescope, is an expert on planetary nebulae. She is currently focusing on chemical abundances in planetary nebulae as a function of their progenitor masses and metallicities. She teaches "Introduction to Astrophysics," " Observations and Data Reduction Techniques in Astronomy," and "The Nature of the Universe."
http://www.williams.edu/Astronomy/kkwitter
China, economicsDe Brauw, Alan; assistant professor of economicsDe Brauw is an expert on economic behavior, particularly with regards to migration and labor allocation, in rural Chinese households. He is the author of "Migration and Income in Source Communities: A New Economics of Migration Perspective from China" (October 2003). Related courses he offers at Williams include "China's Economic Transformation since 1980" and "Economic Transition in East Asia." His articles have appeared in the American Economic Review, China Economic Review, and the Journal of Comparative Economics.
http://www.williams.edu/Economics/FACULTY/deBrauw.htm
College TuitionsWinston, Gordon; Orrin Sage Professor of EconomicsWinston is an expert on the economics of higher education. His opinion is solicited by newspapers such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Boston Globe regarding the ever changing dynamic of financing college tuition. He has served as the director for the Williams Project on the Economics of Higher Education for many years. He has also written extensively about higher education, some of his publications including "Peer Effects in Higher Education" and "Statement for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce," as given to the U.S. House of Representatives.
http://www.williams.edu/Economics/FACULTY/winston.html
CongressMarcus, George; professor of political scienceMarcus can talk about democratic theory, public opinion, and electoral behavior in democratic societies. He also specializes in political psychology with special interest on the role of emotions in politics, philosophies of science, and methodology. He was written numerous articles and chapters on American political behavior, as well as on political tolerance, the role of issues and emotions in the American electorate, appraisal of candidates, dynamics of electoral campaigns, and political psychology. He is the co-editor of "Reconsidering the American Public" (1993) and co-author of "With Malice Toward Some: How People Make Civil Liberties Judgments" (1995).
http://www.williams.edu/PoliSci/marcus.htm
DiseaseSmith, Thomas; assistant professor of chemistrySmith's research focuses on the development of new methods for increased efficiency in organic synthesis and their application to molecules of biological significance. His classes at Williams include "Fighting disease: evolution and operation of human medicines" and "Organic chemistry."
http://www.williams.edu/Chemistry/TSmith
Economic development Gollin, Douglas; assistant professor of economics
Gollin's research interests focus on development and growth, agricultural economics, macroeconomics, and applications of dynamic equilibrium models. Among his latest publications is an article in Science magazine titled "Assessing the Impact of the Green Revolution 1960 to 2000."
http://www.williams.edu/Economics/FACULTY/gollin.html
EconomyBakija, Jon; assistant professor of economicsBakija is the co-author of "Taxing Ourselves: A Citizen's Guide to the Debate over Taxes" (3rd ed. 2004) and "Retooling Social Security for the 21st Century" (1994). His research focuses primarily on the fields of public finance, labor economics, applied econometrics, economic effects of taxation, tax/social security reform, and the economics of charitable giving.
http://www.williams.edu/Economics/FACULTY/bakija.html
ElectionsMarcus, George; professor of political science(See "Congress" above)
http://www.williams.edu/PoliSci/marcus.htm
Environmental policyLee, Kai; Rosenburg Professor of Environmental StudiesLee's research interests include sustainable development, radioactive waste management, role of learning in environmental policy and governance, eco-regional conservation, environmental NGOs, and interaction of technology, business, and environment. Related courses he teaches at Williams include " Environmental Policy" and "Environment, Individual and Society."
His recent report of the Board on Sustainable Development on November 1999 was titled "Our Common Journey: A Transition toward Sustainability."
http://www.williams.edu/CES/ces/people/klee/klee.htm
ForensicsKaplan, Lawrence; professor of chemistryKaplan can talk about the development and modification of analytical techniques in forensic science. Among courses he offers at Williams is "Chemistry and Crimes: From Sherlock Holmes to Forensic Science." His most recent paper " Forensic Chemistry: An Example of a Successful CWCS Workshop" was presented at the symposium "NSF-sponsored Program for College Chemistry Educators" at the 55th Southeast Regional Meeting of the ACS (SERMACS), Atlanta, Ga., November 2003. http://www.williams.edu/Chemistry/lkaplan
Foreign policyMcAllister, James; associate professor of political scienceMcAllister is an expert on American foreign policy, particularly with regard to the Cold War and Vietnam. His research focuses on ambiguity and opportunity, as well as constraint in foreign policy. Related classes he teaches at Williams are "International Relations" and "American Foreign Policy since 1945."
http://www.williams.edu/PoliSci/mcallister.htm
Health CareJohnson, Cathy; professor of political scienceJohnson can analyze American policy-making and implementation, especially as it applies to social policy. Her recent work has dealt with welfare reform and with the way that children are characterized and involved in legislative debate. Courses she has taught at Williams include "Politics of Family Policy," "Poverty in America," and "Power, Politics, and Democracy in America."
http://www.williams.edu/PoliSci/johnson.htm
International LawShanks, Cheryl; associate professor of political science, department chairShanks' research focuses on fluidity in population and territory, the two central components of sovereignty. She is the author of "Immigration and the Politics of American Sovereignty, 1890-1990," as well as articles on tourism, anti-immigration movements, and international organizations. At Williams, she has taught "International Law," "Ethics and Interests in International Politics," and a senior seminar on international relations, among other courses.
http://www.williams.edu/PoliSci/shanks.htm
International RelationsLynch, Marc; assistant professor of political science(See "Arab World" above) http://www.williams.edu/PoliSci/lynch.htm
IraqLynch, Marc; associate professor of political science(See "International Relations" and "Arab World" above)
Trials, juries, and witnesses Kassin, Saul; Massachusetts Professor of PsychologyKassin is an expert on applying social and cognitive psychology to various aspects of the law and legal decision-making, particularly police interrogations, criminal confessions, eyewitness testimony, and jury decision-making. Numerous times Kassin has been called into court as an expert witness to analyze confessions and eyewitness testimony. His op-eds have been published by the New York Times, and he has appeared on such shows as ABC's Nightline and PBS' The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. At Williams, he teaches "Psychology and Law" and "Processes of Adjudication." He is author of the best-selling textbook "Psychology 4e "(Prentice Hall) and the new "Essentials of Psychology" (Prentice Hall), and is co-author of "Social Psychology 5e" (Houghton Mifflin).
http://www.williams.edu/Psychology/Faculty/Kassin/default.htm
Latino/a historyWhalen, Carmen; assistant professor of historyWhalen's research interests include Latina/o studies, Labor, migration, and women's history. She is the author of "From Puerto Rico to Philadelphia: Puerto Rican Workers and Postwar Economies." Her related courses at Williams include "Latina/o Identities, Construction, Contestations and Expressions," "Latina/o History from 1846 to the Present," and "Comparative Latina/o Migrations."
http://www.williams.edu/history/saf/faculty/whalenc.html
MoralityBarry, Melissa; assistant professor of philosophyBary specializes in meta-ethics, normative ethics, and the history of ethics, particularly Hume. At Williams, she has taught "Moral Objectivity," "Introduction to Moral Philosophy," and "Contemporary Ethical Theory."
http://www.williams.edu/philosophy/faculty04/sub_mbarry.html
Oil, History ofMerrill, Karen, assistant professor of historyMerrill can talk about 20th century American Politics and Political Economy, the American West and Environmental History. At Williams she teaches " The History of Oil." She is working on her latest book, titled "The Oil Crisis" .
http://www.williams.edu/history/saf/faculty/merrillk.html
Presidential elections Marcus, George; professor of political science(See "Congress" above)
http://www.williams.edu/PoliSci/marcus.htm
Presidential politicsBurns, James MacGregor; Woodrow Wilson Professor of Government EmeritusPresidential scholar.Burns, one of the pioneers of leadership studies is also the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Francis Parkman Prize, Woodrow Wilson Prize for "Roosevelt: the Lion and the Fox" and "Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom." Burns aloes is the co-author of "Government by the People" which has been widely used as a college textbook since it was penned in 1951. Burns is also the author of numerous articles and reviews in Harpers, The Atlantic, Life, Newsweek, The New York Times Magazine, and its Book Review.
Stereotypes, prejudice and discriminationFein, Steven; professor of psychology Fein is an expert on psychology and racism. His research focuses on the processes of interpersonal perception and social cognition: suspicion, attribution, stereotypes and prejudice, self-affirmation theory, self-image maintenance processes in judgments and behaviors, social psychological influences on perceptions of political debates, effects of media images on attitudes and behaviors, and cross-cultural differences. At Williams he teaches " Stereotypes, Prejudice and Discrimination." He is co-author of the book " The Ontario Symposium."
http://www.williams.edu/Psychology/Faculty/Fein/fein.html Warfare and military leadershipWood, James; Charles R. Keller Professor of HistoryWood's research interests focus on early modern Europe, the expansion of Europe, the origins of modern warfare, World Wars I and II, and American military history. At Williams he teaches " Modern Warfare and Military Leadership," and "War in European History." He is the author of the award-winning book "The King's Army, Warfare, Soldiers and Society During the Early Wars of Religion in France, 1526-76."
http://www.williams.edu/history/saf/faculty/woodj.html
Women and IslamDarrow, William; Jackson Professor of ReligionDarrow's research focuses on religions of late antiquity, the Islamic religion, and the place of women in the Islamic world. Among courses that he teaches at Williams are "Introduction to Qu'ran and Islam" and " Sacred Geographies." He is the author of "Zoroaster as Epic Hero, Holy Man, and a Prophet" and co-editor of "Myths of Crisis."
http://www.williams.edu/Religion/Faculty.htm
Williams College is consistently ranked one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. The college's 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their undergraduate teaching. The achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in research. Admission decisions are made regardless of a student's financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted. Founded in 1793, it is the second oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college is located in Williamstown, Mass. To visit the college on the Internet: www.williams.edu
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