Have you ever set out to draft a bit on power mimicry in the Marvel Universe as an intro to discussing the benefits of interdisciplinary research teams, discovered that the superhero known for borrowing another superhero’s power is not in fact called Power Man (Power Man is in fact an alias of Luke Cage), many…

Another other-Friday, anther semihebdomadal blogpost due. This one prompts us to think about our research networks. Having squandered my wit on “semihebdomadal” (courtesy of the UN Free Rice app Vocabulary quiz), I’ll tackle the three subheadings – Brackenridge alum, research mentor, and career connections – in order. Before we addressed any of these subheadings, we…

Sometimes a concept that makes sense on paper fails to match reality or gain traction. In my last post, I previewed my shift away from Presidential mythology and toward the study of campaign signage as a proxy for candidate self-presentation. This shift has already opened doors in terms of the datasets and theory available. My…

There’s a mixed metaphor jostling around in my head (as usual) and I’m afraid we’re gonna have to humor it. The metaphor pertains to pencils, posters, and symbiosis. Specifically, it begins with a phrase plastered to my Sunday school’s wall (centered between a JFK quote and the windows). Pencils stand shoulder to shoulder on a…

My name is Adam Nie. I am an incoming Pitt senior from the Chicago suburbs. I am the youngest of three siblings, I have never had a pet, I’d eat fried gnocchi every day if I could, and I really get a kick out of stories.  During my years at Pitt, I’ve pursued a double…