Letter from the Executive Editor
We affectionately refer to this issue as the "pants issue" because of the wonderful photograph we selected for the cover from the feature "Dressing the Part: The clothing and material culture of the Civil War era." Bright and bold, albeit slightly abstract at first glance, this image is an apt metaphor for the scholarship of the Division of the Social Sciences we feature in this issue. From the Social and Neurological Construction of Martyrdom Project lead by Robert Pape, PhD’88 (Political Science), professor of political science, and Jean Decety, a social neuroscientist and the Irving B. Harris Distinguished Service Professor in Psychology and Psychiatry, to the new Science of Learning Center directed by Susan Levine, the Rebecca Anne Boylan Professor of Education and Society and Chair of the Department of Psychology, this issue explores some of the most pressing issues we face today. Why are terrorism recruitment videos successful in appealing to potential suicide bombers? What early education interventions best position today's youth for success in school and life? Answers to such complex questions can only come from the kind of fearless inquiry that our students and faculty embrace (and as alumni of the Division, you do too). We hope that this issue of Dialogo spurs meaningful conversation in your corner of the world--we also hope that it inspires you to open new lines of communication with us, your alma mater. After all, "Dialogo" translates from Latin to "dialogue," which, by definition, requires an exchange between at least two individuals.
-Nina Herbst, Senior Associate Director for Alumni Relations and Development for the Social Sciences