The AAHD Gallery is excited to present Second Chances, an exhibition showcasing new works by second-year MFA students in Studio Art and Design. Featured artists include Lily Dorian (sculpture), Heidi Dargle (visual communication design), Franceska Alvarado (painting and drawing), Lucy Schultz (industrial design), and Olivia Koziel (photography). The exhibition runs weekdays from January 30 to February 13, 2025, with a special opening reception Thursday, January 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. Join us to celebrate these talented, emerging artists and their inspiring creations. Originally published at artdept.nd.edu.

Sarah BushAssociate Professor of Political ScienceUniversity of Pennsylvania In the twenty-first century, international election monitoring has grown increasingly complex, with a plateau in high-quality monitors but a troubling rise in low-quality, "zombie" monitors that validate flawed elections and undermine democratic legitimacy. These low-quality monitors often arise in countries with ties to autocratic powers or membership in authoritarian organizations. Their presence not only threatens democracy but also influences the behavior of high-quality observers, who may respond by becoming less critical to avoid challenges from counter-narratives. Using original data from 2000 to 2020, studies reveal that while high-quality monitors have adapted to this competitive landscape, the proliferation of low-quality monitors poses significant challenges to the integrity of international election monitoring. Click here for more information. Sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies.