What experiences constitute ‘girlhood’? What personal and social pathways are available to girls in contemporary American fiction? These questions lie at the heart of this talk, which will explore how emancipatory new representations of girlhood have emerged in novels published between 1990-2020, in response to the social and cultural transformations that have been catalysed by the girl-centric agendas of contemporary feminism.

Capitalizing on College shows how tuition-driven colleges and universities have been forced to innovate and adopt market-driven financial strategies. These institutions have long-standing commitments to offer access and opportunity to marginalized students, but the promise of improved educational outcomes stemming from federal policy changes aimed at increasing market competition has not materialized.

Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) was among the most influential and wide-ranging political writers in modern America. As both a journalist and political theorist, he shaped ideas about liberalism and democracy, the nature of public opinion, US power and empire, and the roles of journalists, experts, and citizens. Tom Arnold-Forster provides a bold historical reassessment of Lippmann’s intellectual life, offering fresh perspectives on a career at the intersection of daily news and democratic theory.

Almost a year after the geopolitical shock of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the contours of President Trump’s grand strategy are coming into sharper focus. How have the new policy directions changed the domestic politics of national security and how have they changed global politics? How successful has Trump’s remaking of America’s role in world been and which other major powers have most effectively adapted to the new reality?