Month: August 2020

Prof. Micki McElya Quoted in CNN article

In August the United States reached another grim milestone: over 170,000 deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic. But unlike other national tragedies, there has been little collective mourning among Americans. Why is that? Why is this time different? To better understand why national grieving is important, CNN contributor Ray Sanchez spoke with Professor Micki McElya. On August 16, Sanchez published the article, “Few signs of collective mourning as the US tops 170,000 coronavirus deaths,” on the CNN website. Professor McElya, author of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist The Politics of Mourning: Death and Honor in Arlington National Cemetery, is the ideal scholar to discuss matters of collective grief and how US political leaders have marshalled national mourning during previous tragedies.

Describing the country’s lack of collective mourning, Professor McElya eloquently states in the CNN article: “We need to really consider this and talk about this as a collective national failure. One certainly encouraged by our leadership. But people have to submit or commit to that narrative, and so many have, and that’s an enormous sadness.”

In Memoriam: Roger Buckley

Professor Roger Buckley, University of ConnecticutWe are saddened to share that earlier this month Roger Buckley, a wonderful Professor of History and colleague at UConn since 1984, passed away. In addition to serving as a member of the History Department, Buckley led the UConn Center for Academic Programs and served as the founding Director of the Asian American Studies Institute in 1993.

The current Director of the Asian and Asian American Studies Institute (AAASI), Professor Jason Oliver Chang, wrote a beautiful tribute to Professor Buckley in UConn Today. Chang writes that Buckley’s “combination of humor, kindness, and the tireless work to lift up creative, intellectual, and scholarly work rooted in the conviction and courage to right wrongs was a defining quality that many will remember and miss.”

Prof. Sinha’s Reflective NYT Op-ED on Kamala Harris

Professor Manisha Sinha, History Department, University of ConnecticutProfessor Manisha Sinha‘s op-ed, “Why Kamala Harris Matters to Me,” surged onto The New York Times website on Wednesday, August 12. In her reflective piece, Sinha calls Joe Biden’s selection of Senator Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate as a “personal gift.” The op-ed provides a stirring glimpse at Harris’ Indian and Black heritage. In addition to Harris being only the second Black woman to be elected to the US Senate, she also is one of the most prominent politicians of Indian descent.

To read Professor Sinha’s reaction to Harris’ appointment, please click here.