Liberal Arts In The News – September 2026
The following are clips from media mentions and articles in September 2026.
- The Uprising: The True Story of the Peasants’ Revolt That Inspired Andrew Garfield’s New Movie
- Vanity Fair
- Michael Johnston, a professor of medieval literature, provided context on the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt that inspired the film. According to Johnston, it’s important to remember that the revolt “wasn’t just one mass” against a “few evil people.” Despite the rebellion’s name, the rebels were “mostly middle-management types,” he said.
- What are the top threats posed by AI and should you be worried?
- Good Morning America, ABC (New York), KABC (ABC Los Angeles), WLS (ABC Chicago), WPVI (ABC Philadelphia)
- Daniel Schiff, a professor of political science and co-director of the Governance and Responsible AI Lab (GRAIL), explains the risks AI poses. "There could be a dramatic transformation that could disrupt skills and jobs," he said. "Whether you think these risks will scale catastrophically, at a minimum we have a very serious reality of cybersecurity incidents.”
- Donald Trump is betting big on AI — and that has Americans fearing a Terminator-like dystopia
- The Independent
- Daniel Schiff, a professor of political science and co-director of the Governance and Responsible AI Lab (GRAIL), said that industry concerns about out-of-control AI date back more than a decade and that "we all should be taking this very seriously." Schiff said he's “typically been most worried about what you would call sort of middle-scale risks,” citing online misinformation and disinformation that leads to a “loss of trust in media and institutions.”
- Chimeras Fly Again. The Synthetic Life of Drone Warfare
- Real Clear Defense
- Sorin Adam Matei, a professor of communication, shared his analysis of autonomous systems and the changing functions of aerial platforms. “The future of drone warfare will not belong to the side that can merely launch the most machines,” he said. “It will belong to the side that can assemble the most adaptable machine organisms."
- Wisconsin Republicans are heading to a midterm convention. What is that?
- Wisconsin Public Radio
- James McCann, a professor of political science, discussed the Republican Party’s planned midterm convention in Dallas. Unlike 2 years ago when Republican delegates from around the country came to Milwaukee to formally nominate Donald Trump for president, this event is “more of a fundraiser and rally while Republicans are nervous about their chances in the November midterm elections,” said McCann.
- Purdue grad who flew mission on Sept. 11, 2001 shares story
- WXIN (Fox Indianapolis), WLKY (CBS Louisville)
- Heather Penney, a Purdue alumna who studied Literature, recalled preparing to fly a mission to intercept a hijacked airliner on Sept. 11, 2001. “No one’s trained for this,” she said, remembering how it felt to take off in the direction of Flight 93 before she learned of the passengers’ revolt. “But we knew what would be required, and we also knew what was at stake.”
- AI warnings from inside the industry land in North Texas, where the data centers are going up
- WFAA-TV
- Daniel Schiff, a professor of political science and co-director of the Governance and Responsible AI Lab (GRAIL), said there are real reasons to be concerned about the most advanced models during a discussion of artificial intelligence and related concerns. “We know that a lot of our critical infrastructure is not as secure as it could be,” he said. “We're seeing other impacts in terms of deception and deepfakes and impacts on our education and our workforce."
- Archaeology month comes to Tippecanoe County
- The Exponent
- According to Kory Cooper, an archaeologist and associate professor of anthropology, the archaeology month celebration has been held for several years and brings together the local community. “Indiana’s archaeology month is in September,” he said. The Tippecanoe County event is just one of many happening across the state.
- Rivet: Poet-engineer Richard Blanco calls Purdue 'home'
- The Exponent
- Richard Blanco — a civil engineer, professor of English and the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history — discussed his work in connection with Purdue. “Half my job was writing reports, studies, letters and proposals,” he said. “I really became engaged with language in ways that I hadn’t before.”