Author: Kelly Smith

In her New York Times opinion piece, Associate Professor Helen Zoe Veit explains how modern childhood pickiness emerged in the 20th century as food companies aggressively marketed sugary, salty, highly processed snacks directly to kids and normalized personalized “child-pleasing” meals. This shift, she writes, has contributed to… Continue Reading Associate Professor Helen Veit explains the history of picky eaters in NYT essay

Associate Professor Ethan Segal shared his thoughts about Pokémon celebrating its 30th anniversary with a Super Bowl LX ad teaser. He describes Pokémon Go as a major turning point for the franchise, noting how augmented reality transformed gaming by blending digital play with the physical… Continue Reading Associate Professor Ethan Segal comments on the history of Pokémon, following its 30th anniversary Super Bowl teaser ad

Professor of History Charles Keith delivered the 2026 Annual Distinguished Lecture of the GL Louis Religious Pluralism initiative at the National University of Singapore on January 31, bringing together scholars and students for an evening of discussion on the global history of Catholicism and empire.  The… Continue Reading Charles Keith delivers distinguished lecture on Catholicism and empire in Singapore 

Professor Louis Moore explains to NPR how today’s football started as unruly medieval street play and slowly transformed once rules split soccer, rugby, and the early American game. Read the full article: https://www.npr.org/2026/01/28/nx-s1-5689044/football-origins-explained

Associate Professor Helen Zoe Veit contributes historical and cultural perspective to The New York Times by explaining how calorie counting—once the dominant way Americans thought about nutrition—has been losing its cultural power. Read the full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/dining/calorie-counting-weight-loss-nutrition.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HlA.noIG.WtYakhtnnSCU&smid=url-share