TCU faculty are sharing their expertise with news media covering Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine – from the business side to the world affairs aspect, and even psychology.
“Obviously we live in such an interconnected world economically and geographically that, while this crisis seems half a world away, in many ways I think it’s right in our backyard here in the United States,” said Mike Slattery, chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Fellow with the Ralph Lowe Energy Institute, in his interview with KRLD. “For most Americans, we’ll be thinking of gasoline prices at the pump.”
Ann Bluntzer, acting director of the TCU Neeley Ralph Lowe Energy Institute, was interviewed by KMID-TV in Midland/Odessa, Good Morning Austin and WBAP. She spoke about the symbolism of the ban on Russian oil.
“We only import about 5 million barrels a day, so it's a small number,” she said. "What's significant is the symbol it sends geopolitically: that we are together with the rest of the world in putting sanctions on Russia.”
TCU Piper Professor Ralph Carter, political science professor who specializes in Russian history, shared his insight with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, KRLD and Voice of America.
“President Putin has put himself in a corner, and he’s made maximalist kinds of demands, and I don’t know that his leadership can survive in Russia if he backs down,” Carter said. “I think he's trying to recreate a Russian sphere of influence in Eastern Europe. If he had his druthers, I think he'd love to have the Russian Empire back.”
In addition to world affairs, there’s also the issue of how to deal with the conflict psychologically, particularly when it comes to sharing information with children. David Cross, TCU professor of child development and psychology, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he recommends advising youth that the information they see online isn’t always accurate or trustworthy, and that they shouldn’t believe everything they read.
“Use your judgment about what kind of information is going to be appropriate for your child,” he said.
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