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Why Meritocracy Is a Myth in College Admissions
The most damaging myth in American higher education is that college admissions is about merit, and that merit is about striving for – and earning – academic excellence. This myth is often used as a weapon against policies like affirmative action that offer minor admissions advantages to low-income students and racial and ethnic minorities. From… Read More
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Why Double-Majors Might Beat You Out of a Job
Two college majors are better than one. That is the conclusion that researchers are beginning to reach. Prior research has already shown that students who double major can earn more than peers who majored in only one field. New research we conducted recently shows that double majors fare better in another way as well: They… Read More
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How to Prevent the ‘Robot Apocalypse’ From Ending Labor as We Know It
It seems not a day goes by without the appearance of another dire warning about the future of work. Some alarmists fear a “robot apocalypse,” while others foresee the day of “singularity” coming when artificial intelligence exceeds human intelligence. Still others warn that income inequality will continue to rise as owners of capital capture more… Read More
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Some Want To Get Rid of College Majors – Here’s How That Could Go Wrong
Should college majors be a thing of the past? That idea received a fresh airing when author Jeffrey Selingo suggested that it’s “time to end college majors as we know them.” As a researcher who studies higher education, I concede that something about the way colleges and universities educate students in the United States needs… Read More
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What Colleges Must Do to Promote Mental Health for Graduate Students
Sara did not expect much to come from her visit to the university’s counseling center, but she was concerned enough about the dark thoughts she’d been having that she decided to go anyway. As she sat in the waiting room after turning in the patient questionnaire, she thought: “It’s probably not a big deal. I’m… Read More
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First-Generation College Students Earn Less Than Graduates Whose Parents Went to College
When discussions take place about first-generation college students, often the focus is on how disadvantaged they are in comparison to their peers whose parents went to college. Research we recently conducted shows that first-generation college students experience another form of disadvantage that lasts long after they graduate – and that is: how much they earn.… Read More
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Research Shows Students Are as Good as Professors in Tutorial Teaching
Professors and graduate students are at opposite ends of the university hierarchy in terms of experience, qualifications and pay. But at many universities, both do the same job: they teach tutorials offered in parallel with lectures. Our research explores whether it makes sense for professors to teach tutorials – and we found it doesn’t. They… Read More
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Can Congress or the Courts Reverse Trump’s National Emergency?
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to pay for the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, after Congress, in its new spending bill, denied him the full money to build it. “We’re talking about an invasion of our country with drugs, with human traffickers, with all types of criminals and gangs,” Trump… Read More
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Researchers, Set an Example: Fly Less
The world is warming and ecosystems are dying. To avoid disastrous climatic change, massive reductions in CO2 emissions are required in all sectors, reaching net-zero globally no later than 2050. This requires an unprecedented and rapid change in our ways of life. In this, the world of research is challenged for two reasons. First, researchers… Read More
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This Trait Could Be Key to a Lasting Romance
Passion and commitment are widely believed to be the foundation of strong romantic relationships. But a relationship is made of two unique individuals, and personality traits these individuals possess or lack can often make a relationship more likely to endure. In a recent study, we found that one trait in particular – humility – is… Read More
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When Newspapers Close, Voters Become More Partisan
It seems impossible to ignore national politics today. The stream of stories about the president and Congress is endless. Whether online, in print or on television, it has never been easier to follow the action. National news outlets are adapting well to this environment: The New York Times and Wall Street Journal made big gains… Read More
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Fossil Fuels Are Bad for Your Health and Harmful in Many Ways Besides Climate Change
Many Democratic lawmakers aim to pass a Green New Deal, a package of policies that would mobilize vast amounts of money to create new jobs and address inequality while fighting climate change. Led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, they are calling for massive investments in renewable energy and other measures over a… Read More
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Mindful Eating: The Victorian Food Trend That Could Help You Lose Weight And Transform Your Health
In recent years, mindfulness – defined as “a mental state or attitude in which one focuses one’s awareness on the present moment” – has become embedded into our everyday language. Mindfulness has helped many people to develop the skills necessary to manage chronic pain, depression, anxiety, stress and sleeping disorders. It has also become a… Read More
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Why Do So Many Americans Now Support Legalizing Marijuana?
American views on marijuana have shifted incredibly rapidly. Thirty years ago, marijuana legalization seemed like a lost cause. In 1988, only 24 percent of Americans supported legalization. But steadily, the nation began to liberalize. By 2018, 66 percent of U.S. residents offered their approval, transforming marijuana legalization from a libertarian fantasy into a mainstream cause.… Read More
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Capturing Carbon to Fight Climate Change Is Dividing Environmentalists
Environmental activists are teaming up with fresh faces in Congress to advocate for a Green New Deal, a bundle of policies that would fight climate change while creating new jobs and reducing inequality. Not all of the activists agree on what those policies ought to be. Some 626 environmental groups, including Greenpeace, the Center for… Read More
