Archive - THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY - with Sepehr Vakil

Bombs over Tehran: a fathers day reflection

To pre-game Father's Day, my friend Paymun and I took our sons to Climb Zone yesterday, a family entertainment center in Chicago.

Jun 15 •

Can AI help Chicago parents this summer? Maybe so.

A few days ago, I was at an end-of-the-year picnic at my son's elementary school.

Jun 4 •

May 2025

PCWB live taping with comedian Zainab Johnson and Northwestern professor kihana miraya ross

May 29 •

Lessons from Iran’s activist engineering students and professors

Culture, politics, technology, and religion have intermingled in complex and often surprising ways in the history of the Middle East.

Published on Heterodox STEM • May 12

April 2025

Our NSF grant was canceled at Northwestern

Last Friday, our NSF grant was illegally terminated by the federal government.

Apr 25 •

New book announcement! Revolutionary Engineers: Learning, Politics, and Activism at Aryamehr University

Official release on May 27, 2025!

Apr 8 •

March 2025

Fun night at the Comedy Store; Ruha Benjamin challenges Trevor Noah's AI optimism; Bill Burr was a jerk on NPR

Fun night at the Comedy Store with the fellas

Mar 29 •

I'm endorsing Dr. Nichole Pinkard for the D65 School Board

Professor Nichole Pinkard, my colleague, mentor, friend, and collaborator, is running for the school board in my hometown of Evanston, Illinois.

Mar 10 •

January 2025

Did you talk to your kids about MLK day? About the Trump inauguration?

Yes and no, respectively, for me.

Jan 20 •

Why I write on here, a vulnerable moment with my doctor, and what you can expect from this Substack in 2025...

I write on substack to experiment with a new kind of voice and writing.

Jan 4 •

November 2024

Engaging ethics and politics of AI with our students before and after the election

Three weeks ago, prior to the election, we began our unit on the ethics of AI, examining the social and political context and implications raised by the…

Nov 17, 2024 •

and

Day after the election

What does a professor do? What does a comedian do?

Nov 14, 2024 •

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