Olga Dietlin, Ph.D.

Recently, Tamar Shirinian, a University of Tennessee assistant professor of cultural anthropology, filed a lawsuit against the UT administration, contesting termination over social media posts about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.Keenan Thomas, “Tamar Shirinian Sues University of Tennessee for Suspending Her after Charlie Kirk Comment,” Knoxville News Sentinel, October 30, 2025, https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/education/2025/10/30/professor-sues-university-of-tennessee-over-charlie-kirk-comment-suspension/86950647007/ She is not…

I remember the dissonance I felt when I was invited to join a prayer meeting organized by Wheaton’s Politics and International Relations Department soon after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Masked and socially distanced, we gathered in a calm setting to pray for the people of Ukraine—huddled in basements and subways…