Faculty and Staff Notes

Emeritus Professor of History and former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Clayton R. Koppes co-presented "The Sap of the Body Politic: HIV/AIDS and the Travail of American Democracy" with David (Jax) Kelly at the Australia/New Zealand American Studies Association conference, held in Melbourne in November 2025.

Chief of Staff and Strategy Officer David Hertz was honored by the Press Club of Cleveland and the American Jewish Press Association for his contributions to the series Impact of Hate, which was published in the Cleveland Jewish News in 2025. Hertz earned third place in the Press Club's In-Depth Report or Series category and honorable mention in the AJPA’s Writing about Antisemitism category. The story is available on the Jewish Federation of Cleveland website.

Senior Lecturer of Writing and Communication Hal Sundt wrote a feature story for Smithsonian Magazine’s 250th Anniversary of America issue about the “Thunderstorm Project,” which is also the subject of his forthcoming book.

Assistant Professor of Data Science and Computer Science Joshua Davidson recently published an op-ed in the Philadelphia Citizen with Ariel Ben-Amos of the University of Pennsylvania. Titled "The Insurance Trap Killing Philly Public Spaces," it discusses how small revisions to urban insurance policies can support experimentation to promote more vibrant public spaces.

Director for Intercultural Engagement Sam Yang published an article in Sparks magazine titled “Beyond the Stage and Screen: How K-Culture Is Reshaping Campus Life and Student Engagement.” It examines how K-culture has become a meaningful site of intercultural engagement, belonging, and Asian diasporic visibility on college campuses. The article considers how institutions can approach popular culture programming with greater intentionality, cultural humility, and care.

Assistant Professor of Creative Writing Uche Okonkwo gave a reading at the 2026 Ithaca College New Voices Festival. She also presented on multi-genre creative writing panels titled "Find Some Compassion: Creating Space for Conflict" and "Empire of Nature."

Associate Professor of Africana Studies and Comparative American Studies Yveline Alexis presented at the Haitian Studies Association and the Latin American Studies Association in Paris. Her paper, "Ma Cerafina: An Enslaved Womyn in Colonial Ayiti and Colonial Cuba," was well-received.

Assistant Professor of Data Science and Computer Science Joshua Davidson was recently awarded a grant from the Cleveland Foundation for a project on "New Approaches to Make Cleveland's Roadways Safer for All Users." This two-year, $100,000 grant will support research that engages students to explore the ways that spatial and statistical models can be employed to generate actionable insights for urban policymakers working to make streets safer for everyone.

Shari Rabin, associate professor of Jewish studies and religion and chair of Jewish studies, was quoted in an article in the Cleveland Jewish News about her work co-chairing the American Jewish Historical Society's Biennial Scholars' Conference, to be held in Cleveland May 31 to June 2. Assistant Professor of Jewish studies Matthew Berkman served on the program committee and Jewish studies major Aria Weiner has worked on the conference this semester as an AJHS Intern. Weiner and another Oberlin student, Lydian Domina, will serve as student assistants during the conference, which will be held on the campus of Case Western Reserve University.

Visiting Assistant Professor Thao Nguyen, a Bay Area artist, let a filmmaker follow her for six years. The Dao of Thao follows the artist’s multiple identities: outspoken performer; devoted mother, partner, and daughter; and member of the queer and artistic communities in the Bay Area. It offers a deeply personal portrait of a Vietnamese American woman balancing creativity, domestic wellness, daughterhood, and queerness. A related article can be viewed on the San Francisco Chronicle website (subscription required).