Faculty called upon for expertise as media cover significant current events When a young man was fatally shot by police in Ferguson, Mo., media coverage did not naturally gravitate toward examining mid-century suburban development in the St. Louis area. For Clarence Lang, however, the connection between the current situation and his historical research on St. Louis was clear. “In terms of my interest in race, urban politics and governance, social movements and the 20^th century, I think that positioned me in an interesting way to comment on contemporary issues,” said Lang, an associate professor of African & African-American studies and American studies. Recently, national and world crises have dominated headlines and media have frequently sought researchers’ expertise to gain a new perspective and better understand the context of current events.

When a long-dead archduke and his assassin begin following you on Twitter, odds are that something interesting is about to happen.