Michael J. Murphy
@emmjaymurphee.bsky.social
•Prof., Gender & Sexuality Stds., U. Illinois Springfield uis.edu/wgs
•Founding member, UIS United Faculty uisufinfo.wordpress.com/
•LGBTQIA+ studies, critical men's/masculinity studies, U.S. art/visual culture history.
•Founding member, UIS United Faculty uisufinfo.wordpress.com/
•LGBTQIA+ studies, critical men's/masculinity studies, U.S. art/visual culture history.
Pinned
Living Out Loud: An Introduction to LGBTQ History, Society, and Culture
Living Out Loud: An Introduction to LGBTQ History, Society, and Culture offers students an evidence-based foundation in the interdisciplinary field of LGBTQ Studies. Chapters on history, diversity, da...
www.routledge.com
In 2019 I co-edited this textbook designed to support Intro to LGBTQ Studies college courses. Intended to offer a central text for such courses, it's sized to allow course customization with other readings. Unusually, it includes a chapter on LGBTQIA+ sexual behavior and sexual health. #AcademicSky
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
‘A 2024 meta-analysis of 119 studies of early-literacy tech interventions, led by Rebecca Silverman of Stanford University, found the studies described programmes that delivered at best only marginal gains on standardised tests.’
economist.com/united-state...
economist.com/united-state...
Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless
Independent research identifies few learning gains
economist.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:30 PM
‘A 2024 meta-analysis of 119 studies of early-literacy tech interventions, led by Rebecca Silverman of Stanford University, found the studies described programmes that delivered at best only marginal gains on standardised tests.’
economist.com/united-state...
economist.com/united-state...
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
‘In major assessments for maths, science and reading from 2011 to 2019, greater in-school computer use for learning correlates with lower scores. In contrast, students in classes with rare or no computer use at all typically score highest’
January 24, 2026 at 2:28 PM
‘In major assessments for maths, science and reading from 2011 to 2019, greater in-school computer use for learning correlates with lower scores. In contrast, students in classes with rare or no computer use at all typically score highest’
Ed tech is worthless. Most any teacher can tell you that…
Blistering piece on ed tech in @economist.com.
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless
Independent research identifies few learning gains
economist.com
January 25, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Ed tech is worthless. Most any teacher can tell you that…
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
Today we are all Minnesota. The AFT is standing proudly in support and solidarity here in Minneapolis against ICE’s assault on people’s constitutional, civil and human rights.
#ICEOUT #ICEOutSchools
#ICEOUT #ICEOutSchools
January 24, 2026 at 1:11 AM
Today we are all Minnesota. The AFT is standing proudly in support and solidarity here in Minneapolis against ICE’s assault on people’s constitutional, civil and human rights.
#ICEOUT #ICEOutSchools
#ICEOUT #ICEOutSchools
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
Watch @rweingarten.bsky.social's full speech here: youtu.be/pgOlohhIbds
January 24, 2026 at 4:10 AM
Watch @rweingarten.bsky.social's full speech here: youtu.be/pgOlohhIbds
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
This administration's statements belie what we can see with our own eyes.The federal govt's actions today—both the killing and the cover-up—are a disgrace. Since the president will not, we must call on Congress to act to create accountability 4 this federal malfeasance.
www.aft.org/press-releas...
www.aft.org/press-releas...
AFT’s Weingarten Responds to Shooting of Second Protester in Minnesota
WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after federal agents shot and killed a second Minnesotan:“I was in Minnesota yesterday, joining tens of thousands of people gat...
www.aft.org
January 25, 2026 at 12:53 AM
This administration's statements belie what we can see with our own eyes.The federal govt's actions today—both the killing and the cover-up—are a disgrace. Since the president will not, we must call on Congress to act to create accountability 4 this federal malfeasance.
www.aft.org/press-releas...
www.aft.org/press-releas...
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
As higher education institutions across the nation struggle with federal funding cuts, universities in Illinois are suffering further from long term underfunding by the state. This directly impacts rising tuition costs.
January 24, 2026 at 8:35 PM
As higher education institutions across the nation struggle with federal funding cuts, universities in Illinois are suffering further from long term underfunding by the state. This directly impacts rising tuition costs.
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
This is Minneapolis.
Literally every corner along Lake St. packed with people holding candles, many singing, honoring a person who by all accounts was an absolute gem of a human, whose life was tragically stolen by a fascist, paramilitary occupation force.
Literally every corner along Lake St. packed with people holding candles, many singing, honoring a person who by all accounts was an absolute gem of a human, whose life was tragically stolen by a fascist, paramilitary occupation force.
January 25, 2026 at 2:46 AM
This is Minneapolis.
Literally every corner along Lake St. packed with people holding candles, many singing, honoring a person who by all accounts was an absolute gem of a human, whose life was tragically stolen by a fascist, paramilitary occupation force.
Literally every corner along Lake St. packed with people holding candles, many singing, honoring a person who by all accounts was an absolute gem of a human, whose life was tragically stolen by a fascist, paramilitary occupation force.
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
CTU and IFT President Stacy Davis Gates reminds us that history isn’t just about the rise of tyrants. It’s about the power of the people who resisted them.
Our anger is rooted in what we already had, and what’s being taken away.
Our anger is rooted in what we already had, and what’s being taken away.
January 21, 2026 at 6:31 PM
CTU and IFT President Stacy Davis Gates reminds us that history isn’t just about the rise of tyrants. It’s about the power of the people who resisted them.
Our anger is rooted in what we already had, and what’s being taken away.
Our anger is rooted in what we already had, and what’s being taken away.
Snowing all day here and bitter cold. Spent all afternoon with one eye on the latest murder by federal agents and one eye on communications work for our faculty union. It’s hard to focus on the long game when good people are dying but shoring up education is one way we beat fascism. ✊
January 25, 2026 at 3:53 AM
Snowing all day here and bitter cold. Spent all afternoon with one eye on the latest murder by federal agents and one eye on communications work for our faculty union. It’s hard to focus on the long game when good people are dying but shoring up education is one way we beat fascism. ✊
Masked federal agents murdering unarmed people in the streets makes it really hard to focus on teaching, research, and writing...
January 24, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Masked federal agents murdering unarmed people in the streets makes it really hard to focus on teaching, research, and writing...
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
This must be weird news to see if you’re one of the literally hundreds or even thousands of university administrators who preemptively censored faculty, scrubbed websites, changed the names of centers, etc.
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges. This leaves in place a federal judge's ruling that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment and federal procedural rules. (Via AP) apnews.com/article/dei-... #ncpol #nced
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges
The Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked a campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion threatening federal funding to the nation’s schools and colle...
apnews.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:45 PM
This must be weird news to see if you’re one of the literally hundreds or even thousands of university administrators who preemptively censored faculty, scrubbed websites, changed the names of centers, etc.
If there's one thing I'd say has changed with students after the pandemic shutdown it's an ability to read and understand written instructions, even with upper div students. They seem to struggle with even the simplest directions conveyed in writing. Side effect of not reading?
January 22, 2026 at 4:31 PM
If there's one thing I'd say has changed with students after the pandemic shutdown it's an ability to read and understand written instructions, even with upper div students. They seem to struggle with even the simplest directions conveyed in writing. Side effect of not reading?
Have been in writing paralysis for what feels like weeks. Couldn’t figure out how to revise a damn chapter. Let perfect be the enemy of good. Unwilling to let go of first draft argument and deets. But need to lose 3K words. Grrr…😡
But I had a breakthrough today and see a way forward!🙂
But I had a breakthrough today and see a way forward!🙂
January 21, 2026 at 3:54 AM
Have been in writing paralysis for what feels like weeks. Couldn’t figure out how to revise a damn chapter. Let perfect be the enemy of good. Unwilling to let go of first draft argument and deets. But need to lose 3K words. Grrr…😡
But I had a breakthrough today and see a way forward!🙂
But I had a breakthrough today and see a way forward!🙂
State of the humanities: "[A]s large swaths of the US public gained access to once-elite educational opportunity, backlash followed from those who viewed the investment as a waste of public resources and an educated citizenry as a political threat." #AcademicSky
‘Just not monetizable’: humanities programs face existential crisis at US universities
Fears over the future of humanities spread amid layoffs and restructurings at scores of public and private universities
www.theguardian.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:54 PM
State of the humanities: "[A]s large swaths of the US public gained access to once-elite educational opportunity, backlash followed from those who viewed the investment as a waste of public resources and an educated citizenry as a political threat." #AcademicSky
Is not eating another’s art in and of itself protest art and therefore protected speech?
Alaska Art Student Arrested for Eating Another Student’s AI-Generated Art in Protest
A University of Alaska student was charged with a misdemeanor for eating another student's AI-generated art in protest.
www.artnews.com
January 18, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Is not eating another’s art in and of itself protest art and therefore protected speech?
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
Wow
The night before Spanberger’s inauguration
She’s cleared house at UVA
Top Youngkin appointees resign
Spanberger should be able to easily replace them given Dem trifecta
The former CIA officer asserting her control
The night before Spanberger’s inauguration
She’s cleared house at UVA
Top Youngkin appointees resign
Spanberger should be able to easily replace them given Dem trifecta
The former CIA officer asserting her control
January 16, 2026 at 11:49 PM
Wow
The night before Spanberger’s inauguration
She’s cleared house at UVA
Top Youngkin appointees resign
Spanberger should be able to easily replace them given Dem trifecta
The former CIA officer asserting her control
The night before Spanberger’s inauguration
She’s cleared house at UVA
Top Youngkin appointees resign
Spanberger should be able to easily replace them given Dem trifecta
The former CIA officer asserting her control
Self-goal by U.S. unis...
Chinese Universities Surge in Global Rankings as U.S. Schools Slip
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Self-goal by U.S. unis...
I regret that your email has found me at all...
January 15, 2026 at 6:45 PM
I regret that your email has found me at all...
One of my greatest disappointments with academic feminism is those who refuse to accept the logical outcome of the feminist truism "sex ≠ gender" when it comes to transgender people. Likely why there will always be tension between LGBTQIA+ Studies people and Women's Studies people.
January 14, 2026 at 10:06 PM
One of my greatest disappointments with academic feminism is those who refuse to accept the logical outcome of the feminist truism "sex ≠ gender" when it comes to transgender people. Likely why there will always be tension between LGBTQIA+ Studies people and Women's Studies people.
I wrote a sentence today. Please clap! #AcademicSky
January 14, 2026 at 9:57 PM
I wrote a sentence today. Please clap! #AcademicSky
Scott Adams once called Black people a "hate group." I will NOT be mourning his shuffle off this mortal coil....
January 13, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Scott Adams once called Black people a "hate group." I will NOT be mourning his shuffle off this mortal coil....
"[W]hen it comes to the survival of the fittest, we may need to redefine who the fittest really are." Anyone who's ever been to a gym knows it's gay men. Duh.
Is there an evolutionary reason for same-sex sexual behaviour?
Sexual behaviour among same-sex pairs is common in apes and monkeys, and a wide-ranging analysis suggests it does boost survival
www.newscientist.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:24 PM
"[W]hen it comes to the survival of the fittest, we may need to redefine who the fittest really are." Anyone who's ever been to a gym knows it's gay men. Duh.
Women should not be subjected to murderous violence by federal agents for being "disrespectful." The punishment for "contempt of cop" is not extrajudicial execution. Either we have a nation of laws or we have a nation of misogynist vigilante violence.
Q: "Do you believe that deadly force was necessary?"
Trump: "It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement. The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcement…Law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff."
Trump: "It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement. The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcement…Law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff."
January 12, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Women should not be subjected to murderous violence by federal agents for being "disrespectful." The punishment for "contempt of cop" is not extrajudicial execution. Either we have a nation of laws or we have a nation of misogynist vigilante violence.
Reposted by Michael J. Murphy
For those of you looking to follow some more queer scholar-activists in 2026, check out this starter pack with many fabulous folks.
✊🏾🌈
✊🏾🌈
January 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM
For those of you looking to follow some more queer scholar-activists in 2026, check out this starter pack with many fabulous folks.
✊🏾🌈
✊🏾🌈