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Anthropology Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research Faculty News

Wildfire Archaeology and the Burning American West

Sapiens Originally Posted: September 9, 2020 As I type, the American West is ablaze with more than 100 devastating wildfires. Many of these are record-setting in both size and intensity. Several, including one in my home state of Colorado, have been so intense they’ve created their own thunderstorms. Science shows that wildfires have been getting more destructive […]

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Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research Earth Sciences Faculty News

Dinosaurs’ unique bone structure helped them support their large weight

CNN Originally Posted: August 19, 2020 Some dinosaurs were so big the ground would have shaken while they walked. But how did they carry such massive loads? Dinosaurs likely had a different bone structure to mammals and birds that was uniquely capable of supporting huge weights, a new study has found. A team of paleontologists, […]

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Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research Faculty News History

No one can predict the crises a president will face, so it’s better to vote on character (OPINION)

Dallas Morning News Originally Posted: August 30, 2020 Jeffrey A. Engel directs the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University. He wrote this column for The Dallas Morning News. (OPINION) The Dallas Morning News is publishing a multi-part series on important issues for voters to consider as they choose a president this year. This […]

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Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research Faculty News History

Contact tracing can stop COVID-19 — only if Americans allow government access to personal data

MSN Originally Posted: August 26, 2020 BY: Jo Guldi and Macabe Keiher Jo Guldi is an associate professor of history at Southern Methodist University. She teaches courses on data, text mining, and the history of capitalism. She is author of “Roads to Power: Britain Invents the Infrastructure State” and co-author, with David Armitage, of “The History […]

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Biology Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research Faculty News

SMU virologist in NYT

New York Times Originally Posted: August 20, 2020 Drug Pitched to Trump for Covid-19 Comes From a Deadly Plant The chief executive of My Pillow, a Trump donor, claims oleandrin is a miracle cure for Covid-19. But no studies have shown that it is safe or effective, and the shrub it’s derived from is poisonous. […]

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Biology Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research Faculty News

What is oleandrin, the compound touted as a possible COVID-19 treatment?

C&E Chemical and Engineering News Originally Posted: August 20, 2020 Robert Harrod, a virologist in the SMU Department of Biological Sciences, has studied oleandrin’s ability to block human T-cell leukemia virus, type 1, a retrovirus that causes fatal blood cancer, from spreading to other cells in test tubes. “Even if (oleandrin) does make it into […]

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Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research English Faculty News

SMU creative writing professor shines spotlight on Black authors

Dallas Morning News Originally Posted: July 02, 2020 Author leads movement to fill bestseller lists with titles by Black authors Sanderia Faye is the author of Mourner’s Bench, a story about 8-year-old Sarah Jones coming to terms with the traditions of her community in 1960s Arkansas and the progressive nature of her mother, who is involved with the […]

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Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research Economics Faculty News

SMU Economists’ Research Details Why Some Counties Have Fared Better Than Others During The COVID-19 Pandemic

SMU Research Originally Posted: July 2, 2020 DALLAS (SMU) – The “back to the city” movement popular with Millennials has resulted in the revitalization of many urban areas, but has also made these city dwellers living in close proximity, frequently sharing rail cars and buses, more susceptible to risk during a pandemic. Population density and dependence on […]

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Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research Events Faculty News History Human Rights Events

More colleges should be teaching human rights courses today (opinion)

Inside Higher Ed Originally Posted: July 24, 2020 Our society is under simultaneous assaults on political, cultural, economic and social norms. Many people, especially those in different generations, are polarized as we confront an accelerated pace of change against institutionalized racism, bigotry and a systemically flawed criminal justice system that for too long has targeted […]

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Anthropology Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences Dedman College Research Earth Sciences Faculty News

After battling impostor syndrome, a young Dallas scientist encourages more women to enter science Perot Museum paleontologist Myria Perez says failure is a part of the scientific process.

Dallas News Originally Posted: July 16, 2020 Myria Perez had no trouble finding her passions, however, she needed an extra hand along the way. When a mentor at SMU connected her with “Sea Monsters Unearthed: Life in Angola’s Ancient Seas,” those passions were connected with purpose. READ MORE