- December 2024
“Our objects of study sometimes seem small, their scope narrow. But as I often find myself telling skeptics, this scale is no different from the sciences, where grand insights and inventions are impossible without the work of detailed observation and small-bore analysis. Just as we invest in scientists to probe genes and atoms to cure diseases and design better fuels, we should invest in humanists and social scientists to read and collect and interpret evidence. “
- November 2024
“Without knowledge of what makes us human—our thoughts, languages, and practices, our memories and dreams—we will not sustain the weave of the democratic fabric.”
- September 2024
“Americans aren’t going to decide that the humanities and social sciences (or math or astrophysics) are valuable just because faculty say they are. A gap has opened up between academic study and the knowledge people want and need. Working with others, we can close it.”
- May 2024
“Our own community is diverse: we represent different areas of study, different priorities, different views as to the political roles or responsibilities of scholars. I’m confident that we will find common ground on which we can work together, to help one another along the long road of supporting scholars and the conditions for teaching and learning – starting with freedom from fear and intimidation.”
