Alex Parry, Ph.D.
@safetyworkhstm.bsky.social
Historian of home injuries, public health, and product safety at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Former Ph.D. student and graduate worker organizer at Johns Hopkins. Still frustrated and/or over-caffeinated.
Pinned
This article is deeply concerning.
Our students may have trouble reading long, dense material because they never received evidence-based reading instruction.
Students can’t close-read if they only rely on context and can’t actually process the words on the page.
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
Our students may have trouble reading long, dense material because they never received evidence-based reading instruction.
Students can’t close-read if they only rely on context and can’t actually process the words on the page.
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:29 PM
This article is deeply concerning.
Our students may have trouble reading long, dense material because they never received evidence-based reading instruction.
Students can’t close-read if they only rely on context and can’t actually process the words on the page.
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
Our students may have trouble reading long, dense material because they never received evidence-based reading instruction.
Students can’t close-read if they only rely on context and can’t actually process the words on the page.
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
🚨ONE MONTH'S TIME!🚨
Railway Work, Life & Death project co-lead Mike is privileged to give the 2025 @balhnews.bsky.social Dymond Lecture!
‘Heads – you lose!’ Working for the railways in Britain before 1939
Thursday 11 December 2025, 7pm, online
#LocalHistory #Railway200
www.balh.org.uk/dymond2025
Railway Work, Life & Death project co-lead Mike is privileged to give the 2025 @balhnews.bsky.social Dymond Lecture!
‘Heads – you lose!’ Working for the railways in Britain before 1939
Thursday 11 December 2025, 7pm, online
#LocalHistory #Railway200
www.balh.org.uk/dymond2025
November 11, 2025 at 7:08 PM
🚨ONE MONTH'S TIME!🚨
Railway Work, Life & Death project co-lead Mike is privileged to give the 2025 @balhnews.bsky.social Dymond Lecture!
‘Heads – you lose!’ Working for the railways in Britain before 1939
Thursday 11 December 2025, 7pm, online
#LocalHistory #Railway200
www.balh.org.uk/dymond2025
Railway Work, Life & Death project co-lead Mike is privileged to give the 2025 @balhnews.bsky.social Dymond Lecture!
‘Heads – you lose!’ Working for the railways in Britain before 1939
Thursday 11 December 2025, 7pm, online
#LocalHistory #Railway200
www.balh.org.uk/dymond2025
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
Years ago, we found a bunch of old film and tapes rotting away in some boxes. We digitized them as fast as possible and are sharing the videos on our YouTube Channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
CPSC PSA Archive - YouTube
Archive U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission public service announcements (PSAs) from the past 50 years.
www.youtube.com
September 5, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Years ago, we found a bunch of old film and tapes rotting away in some boxes. We digitized them as fast as possible and are sharing the videos on our YouTube Channel:
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
It is shocking that Trump is quickly tearing down a portion of the White House. But isn’t the bigger story that this action is of a piece with his autocratic presumption that he can unilaterally destroy public goods without any public consultation or explanation?
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...
Trump Is Wasting No Time in Tearing Down the East Wing
www.nytimes.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:20 AM
It is shocking that Trump is quickly tearing down a portion of the White House. But isn’t the bigger story that this action is of a piece with his autocratic presumption that he can unilaterally destroy public goods without any public consultation or explanation?
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
Oh you're trying to say the cost of living is skyrocketing?
Donald Trump can't hear you over the sound of bulldozers demolishing a wing of the White House to build a new grand ballroom.
Donald Trump can't hear you over the sound of bulldozers demolishing a wing of the White House to build a new grand ballroom.
October 21, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Oh you're trying to say the cost of living is skyrocketing?
Donald Trump can't hear you over the sound of bulldozers demolishing a wing of the White House to build a new grand ballroom.
Donald Trump can't hear you over the sound of bulldozers demolishing a wing of the White House to build a new grand ballroom.
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
The Treasury Department instructed employees not to share to share photos of the demolition of parts of the White House’s East Wing
Exclusive | Treasury Tells Employees Not to Share Photos of White House Ballroom Construction
Images of the demolition of parts of the East Wing went viral on Monday, and Treasury’s headquarters next door to the White House has a front-row seat.
www.wsj.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:40 AM
The Treasury Department instructed employees not to share to share photos of the demolition of parts of the White House’s East Wing
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
Dear funding agencies,
I know we all want to discover the wonder drug that will cure the horrible diseases, but to do that, we need to invest in basic, unsexy, foundational research on how the systems work. Funding can’t all be drug development.
Sincerely,
Looking for basic research grants.
I know we all want to discover the wonder drug that will cure the horrible diseases, but to do that, we need to invest in basic, unsexy, foundational research on how the systems work. Funding can’t all be drug development.
Sincerely,
Looking for basic research grants.
October 14, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Dear funding agencies,
I know we all want to discover the wonder drug that will cure the horrible diseases, but to do that, we need to invest in basic, unsexy, foundational research on how the systems work. Funding can’t all be drug development.
Sincerely,
Looking for basic research grants.
I know we all want to discover the wonder drug that will cure the horrible diseases, but to do that, we need to invest in basic, unsexy, foundational research on how the systems work. Funding can’t all be drug development.
Sincerely,
Looking for basic research grants.
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
The 2026 SSHM Conference will be @universityofleeds.bsky.social. The theme will be In/Out and we are inviting papers that consider experiences of being in and/or out of health or health care in any period or geographical location. #HistMed #HistSTM
sshm.org/sshm-2026/
sshm.org/sshm-2026/
SSHM 2026: In/Out
Location: University of Leeds Dates: 30 June to 3 July 2026 Submission Deadline: 5.00pm (GMT) 11th January 2026 Conference Co-Convenors: Dr Alexia Moncrieff & Dr Katherine Rawling Conference Co…
sshm.org
October 13, 2025 at 12:15 PM
The 2026 SSHM Conference will be @universityofleeds.bsky.social. The theme will be In/Out and we are inviting papers that consider experiences of being in and/or out of health or health care in any period or geographical location. #HistMed #HistSTM
sshm.org/sshm-2026/
sshm.org/sshm-2026/
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
The editors of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were apparently fired today.
The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.
We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.
The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.
We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.
October 11, 2025 at 4:09 AM
The editors of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were apparently fired today.
The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.
We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.
The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.
We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
It's time for lunch here at #SHOT2025. Or in my case, it's time for a lunchtime roundtable on the Current Politics of Research (4.510) organized by Allison Marsh.
We begin w/brief remarks from Kristen Iemma, who is studying the history of the National Archives but is wary of publishing right now...
We begin w/brief remarks from Kristen Iemma, who is studying the history of the National Archives but is wary of publishing right now...
October 10, 2025 at 11:04 AM
It's time for lunch here at #SHOT2025. Or in my case, it's time for a lunchtime roundtable on the Current Politics of Research (4.510) organized by Allison Marsh.
We begin w/brief remarks from Kristen Iemma, who is studying the history of the National Archives but is wary of publishing right now...
We begin w/brief remarks from Kristen Iemma, who is studying the history of the National Archives but is wary of publishing right now...
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
So great to see the special issue on "Invasive Species, Global Health, and Colonial Legacies" that @julesskotnesbrown.bsky.social & I edited published today! A big thanks to all contributors & to JHMAS editors & reviewers for their support & guidance in this process academic.oup.com/jhmas/issue/...
Volume 80 Issue 4 | Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences | Oxford Academic
Publishes original research on the written beginnings of medicine in all its aspects. It focuses on what practitioners of the healing arts did or taught, and how their peers, as well as patients, rece...
academic.oup.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
So great to see the special issue on "Invasive Species, Global Health, and Colonial Legacies" that @julesskotnesbrown.bsky.social & I edited published today! A big thanks to all contributors & to JHMAS editors & reviewers for their support & guidance in this process academic.oup.com/jhmas/issue/...
I’m appalled to see the following disclaimer on the CDC website:
“The Trump Admin. is working to reopen the government for the American people. Mission-critical activities of CDC will continue during the Democrat-led government shutdown.”
Arsonists complaining about a fire.
“The Trump Admin. is working to reopen the government for the American people. Mission-critical activities of CDC will continue during the Democrat-led government shutdown.”
Arsonists complaining about a fire.
October 6, 2025 at 8:14 PM
I’m appalled to see the following disclaimer on the CDC website:
“The Trump Admin. is working to reopen the government for the American people. Mission-critical activities of CDC will continue during the Democrat-led government shutdown.”
Arsonists complaining about a fire.
“The Trump Admin. is working to reopen the government for the American people. Mission-critical activities of CDC will continue during the Democrat-led government shutdown.”
Arsonists complaining about a fire.
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
Our new CFP is up and it is monstrous.
CFP: A Time of Monsters
The monster has been here all along. It is a historical constant that manifests in wildly different ways across time, place, and culture. Whatever form it takes, the monster claws at categories; it un...
contingentmagazine.org
October 2, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Our new CFP is up and it is monstrous.
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:
Tendon is now accepting poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art engaging with the politics and poetics of care.
For more information, see
tendonmag.submittable.com/submit
Tendon is now accepting poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art engaging with the politics and poetics of care.
For more information, see
tendonmag.submittable.com/submit
Tendon Magazine Submission Manager
Tendon is the literary and visual arts journal published by the Johns Hopkins Center for Medical Humanities & Social Medicine. Our masthead can be found here, and our most recent issue can be found he...
tendonmag.submittable.com
September 30, 2025 at 11:52 AM
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:
Tendon is now accepting poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art engaging with the politics and poetics of care.
For more information, see
tendonmag.submittable.com/submit
Tendon is now accepting poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art engaging with the politics and poetics of care.
For more information, see
tendonmag.submittable.com/submit
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
"Bucknell has decided to close its highly respected, decades-old UP in June 2026. The stated reason? The press serves scholars, not Bucknell undergrads. Bucknell undergrads—& some grad students as well—disagree." FANTASTIC piece on BUP's student internship program. networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
Bucknell UP Closure Would Also Mark End of Vital Student Internship Program | H-Net
A post from Feeding the
networks.h-net.org
September 26, 2025 at 1:39 PM
"Bucknell has decided to close its highly respected, decades-old UP in June 2026. The stated reason? The press serves scholars, not Bucknell undergrads. Bucknell undergrads—& some grad students as well—disagree." FANTASTIC piece on BUP's student internship program. networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
It’s official! We’re launching the UCLA Department of Labor Studies. After years of building as a small but mighty “program,” Labor Studies has been elevated to departmental status. We’re the first but hopefully not the last of our kind in the UC system.
We are thrilled to announce that UCLA Labor Studies is now officially a department!🎉
The UCLA Labor Studies Department is the first of its kind at the UC
Read more about this historic development here: irle.ucla.edu/2025/09/25/u...
The UCLA Labor Studies Department is the first of its kind at the UC
Read more about this historic development here: irle.ucla.edu/2025/09/25/u...
RELEASE– Historic first: UCLA launches Labor Studies Department
UCLA Labor Studies undergraduate major and minor will expand as a new academic department
irle.ucla.edu
September 26, 2025 at 1:10 AM
It’s official! We’re launching the UCLA Department of Labor Studies. After years of building as a small but mighty “program,” Labor Studies has been elevated to departmental status. We’re the first but hopefully not the last of our kind in the UC system.
In addition to prohibiting digital humanities projects, the current Collaborative Research grant guidelines bar recipients from using NEH funding to offset publishing costs (e.g. open access fees and image copyright costs). Baffling.
NEH Collaborative research grant program now explicitly prohibits digital projects. Output should be a book or journal issue. FFS
www.neh.gov/grants/resea...
www.neh.gov/grants/resea...
Collaborative Research
Supports groups of two or more scholars engaging in significant and sustained research in the humanities.
www.neh.gov
September 25, 2025 at 6:33 PM
In addition to prohibiting digital humanities projects, the current Collaborative Research grant guidelines bar recipients from using NEH funding to offset publishing costs (e.g. open access fees and image copyright costs). Baffling.
Trying out an activity tomorrow where students classify abstracts on a specific topic (in this case, the history of fat / fatness) to learn how to write literature reviews.
Do folks have other useful exercises to teach students the “mechanics” of historical research and writing?
Do folks have other useful exercises to teach students the “mechanics” of historical research and writing?
September 25, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Trying out an activity tomorrow where students classify abstracts on a specific topic (in this case, the history of fat / fatness) to learn how to write literature reviews.
Do folks have other useful exercises to teach students the “mechanics” of historical research and writing?
Do folks have other useful exercises to teach students the “mechanics” of historical research and writing?
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
The call for papers for the 2026 annual meeting of the American Association for the History of Medicine is live now! We hope you will join us in Buffalo!
histmed.org/buffalo-2026/
histmed.org/buffalo-2026/
Buffalo 2026
Join us in Buffalo! Call for Papers 2026 The American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM) (https://histmed.org) invites abstracts for papers in any area of the history of health, healing,...
histmed.org
September 10, 2025 at 8:25 PM
The call for papers for the 2026 annual meeting of the American Association for the History of Medicine is live now! We hope you will join us in Buffalo!
histmed.org/buffalo-2026/
histmed.org/buffalo-2026/
The budgeting meme about scented candles, but with history of medicine artifacts:
September 4, 2025 at 1:53 PM
The budgeting meme about scented candles, but with history of medicine artifacts:
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
This is worth sharing far and wide. Federal Employees and contractors oral history project. Im not involved in this. Just got the link, idea seems to be to create a record of the assault on the American Repuvlic after Jan 2025. www.fecohp.org
FECOHP – Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project
www.fecohp.org
August 31, 2025 at 6:14 PM
This is worth sharing far and wide. Federal Employees and contractors oral history project. Im not involved in this. Just got the link, idea seems to be to create a record of the assault on the American Repuvlic after Jan 2025. www.fecohp.org
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
Just sharing the “Xtreme endnotes” assignment @parisnoire.bsky.social mentions here in case anyone else finds it helpful as we begin a new academic year.
FWIW, it’s a purely analog exercise in an AI-freaky world & my students have never not had fun doing it.✌🏽
www.historians.org/perspectives...
FWIW, it’s a purely analog exercise in an AI-freaky world & my students have never not had fun doing it.✌🏽
www.historians.org/perspectives...
August 20, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Just sharing the “Xtreme endnotes” assignment @parisnoire.bsky.social mentions here in case anyone else finds it helpful as we begin a new academic year.
FWIW, it’s a purely analog exercise in an AI-freaky world & my students have never not had fun doing it.✌🏽
www.historians.org/perspectives...
FWIW, it’s a purely analog exercise in an AI-freaky world & my students have never not had fun doing it.✌🏽
www.historians.org/perspectives...
Reposted by Alex Parry, Ph.D.
🗃️ Variation of this: I gave students one of my chapters w/no footnotes, asked where they thought footnotes should go: What type of source was used? What makes you think that? They have to consider how writing shows evidence vs. context vs. author’s voice. They liked it a lot and had great questions!
Just sharing the “Xtreme endnotes” assignment @parisnoire.bsky.social mentions here in case anyone else finds it helpful as we begin a new academic year.
FWIW, it’s a purely analog exercise in an AI-freaky world & my students have never not had fun doing it.✌🏽
www.historians.org/perspectives...
FWIW, it’s a purely analog exercise in an AI-freaky world & my students have never not had fun doing it.✌🏽
www.historians.org/perspectives...
August 20, 2025 at 10:45 PM
🗃️ Variation of this: I gave students one of my chapters w/no footnotes, asked where they thought footnotes should go: What type of source was used? What makes you think that? They have to consider how writing shows evidence vs. context vs. author’s voice. They liked it a lot and had great questions!
I’m mulling over the historical interplay between the materials used to make toys as part of a new project. Wood, plastic, metal, foam, stuffing, and even Velcro all had distinct, and shifting, applications and meanings in the consumer marketplace. Safety, unsurprisingly, was a key factor.
August 20, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I’m mulling over the historical interplay between the materials used to make toys as part of a new project. Wood, plastic, metal, foam, stuffing, and even Velcro all had distinct, and shifting, applications and meanings in the consumer marketplace. Safety, unsurprisingly, was a key factor.