National Media Director

After the Northwestern football union petition was dismissed this week by the National Labor Relations Board, we FEATURE Amaya Smith, the National Media Director for The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO.) In that role, she runs the federation's national media outreach efforts with the goal of promoting the importance of unions and collective action to the general public. Her media experience includes Politico, The Washington Post and Fox News.

Executive Director

Alpha Phi, an Alabama sorority, removed its recruitment video after a scathing article was published by AL.com. To comment, we FEATURE Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder, a sociologist and scholar specializing in diversity, race relations and gender issues. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of North Florida. As a black woman and sociologist, Dr. Wilder is very passionate about connecting sociology to the everyday issues occurring within our society. Her media experience includes 20/20, Nightline, The New York Times, NPR and The Grio.

Professor

Following the EPA proposing the first-ever federal regulations to cut methane emissions from the nation’s oil industry and Shell receiving its permits to drill in the Arctic, we FEATURE Dr. Vivian E. Thomson. Thomson is Associate Professor in the Departments of Environmental Sciences and Politics at the University of Virginia. Dr. Thomson is an environmental policy expert with 30 years of practical and academic experience at the local, state, national, and international levels: Vice Chair and Member of the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board (appointed by Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine), 2002-2010.