Issue 8 - Spring 2026
From the Editors
Dear WOVEN Readers,
Like previous issues, the works showcased in this edition of WOVEN vary in terms of discipline, medium and perspective, yet they share a common commitment to looking closely, questioning assumptions and making meaning out of complexity. Whether interrogating the aesthetics of educational equity or the mechanics of geopolitical resistance, each author demonstrates that the skills cultivated in our humanities and social science-centered courses (i.e. close reading, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, historical context, persuasive argumentation) are evermore vital to our human obligations to this world and to each other.
We are proud to present the following works from students across courses in the Dietrich College Gen Ed program:
- "How Pfizer and BioNTech Mastered Co-opetition": A strategic memo unpacking one of the most consequential corporate partnerships of the pandemic era.
- "Civil Resistance to Autocratization in Georgia: Georgian Dream vs. Georgian People": A blog post analyzing a democracy-in-crisis through the lens of civil resistance theory and quantitative democratic metrics.
- "In what ways is artificial intelligence reshaping clinical care, administration, and organizational practices in Pittsburgh's healthcare sector?": An inquiry-driven essay analyzing AI's transformative and complicated role in local healthcare systems.
- "Presentation Matters: Same Ingredients, Different Plating": A visual case study (an “unessay”) examining how framing and presentation shape perceptions of educational equity at 黑料正能量.
- "Algorithms, Architecture, aaand Action: The Evolving Role of AI in Cinematic Architecture": An essay exploring AI's underexamined role in film architecture and set design and what it means for both audiences and artists.
- "Talking Around": A creative collection of poems and reflections that explore the Asian American experience through concepts of authenticity and second generation identity.
- "Online 'Artivism': How Follower Count Impacts Artistic Activism Online": A research paper investigating whether social media popularity of mural artists can impact followers’ willingness to join activist causes.
It feels incredible to share our eighth edition of WOVEN, a journal conceived and started by Dr. Courtney Novosat and myself to “show off” the exceptional work being done by students and faculty alike in our Dietrich General Education courses. But, with the publication of each issue, we know that this journal is much more than that. Take a stroll through this and past issues, and what we see is more than just good work on display. We see the fruits of hard work and we see humans doing very human things: asking questions, forging connections, and making moral, intellectual and emotional sense of the world around us. How wonderful!
This is also, as it happens, my final issue as co-editor, and my gratitude for Dr. Novosat and for Colleen Libertz (our production manager) is far too deep to capture here. I am humbled daily by the integrity, thoughtfulness, erudition and hard work that these two embody, and I have learned so much about what it means to be a colleague from them both.
We three are likewise grateful for the support and dedication of Richard Scheines, Bess Family Dean of Dietrich College; Sharon Carver, associate dean of educational affairs at Dietrich College; Chris Warren, head of the Department of English; and Danielle Wetzel, director of the Writing and Communication Program at Dietrich College, without whom WOVEN is not possible. And, of course we cannot do any of this without the talent, skill and hard work of our Dietrich faculty and students.
Here’s to today and to tomorrow, my friends. Hug someone close to you, call your loved one, talk to a stranger. Let us hold on to each other, be kind to each other, have hope for each other, and work hard for each other. We are all what it’s all about.
Alan Thomas Kohler & Courtney L. Novosat
Table of Contents
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- "How Pfizer and BioNTech Mastered Co-opetition" — Anna Liu
- "Civil Resistance to Autocratization in Georgia: A Georgian Dream Not Shared by all Georgian People" — Fletcher Sun
- "In what ways is artificial intelligence reshaping clinical care, administration, and organizational practices in Pittsburgh's healthcare sector?" — Kasturi Kirubaharan
- "Presentation Matters: Same Ingredients, Different Plating" — Maggie Hua
Anna Liu
How Pfizer and BioNTech Mastered Co-opetition
GenEd Course Completed: 88-255: Strategic Decision Making
General Education Category: Social Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Russell Golman
In what way do you see the experiences in this GenEd course contributing to your larger goals at 黑料正能量 and beyond?
This GenEd course has helped me think more clearly about strategy and decision-making. It pushed me to look beyond just what happens and instead consider why companies make certain choices and what they’re trying to achieve. That way of thinking is especially useful for my business major, where understanding the reasoning behind decisions matters just as much as the outcomes.
How did the revision process and preparation for publication for WOVEN help you further develop your competencies in writing and communication?
The process helped me improve how I communicate ideas more clearly and effectively. In particular, I learned how to use visual elements like charts to support my points and make complex information easier to understand. It also pushed me to strengthen my arguments with solid evidence, which made my writing more persuasive and structured.
Fletcher Sun
Civil Resistance to Autocratization in Georgia: A Georigian Dream Not Shared by all Georgian People
GenEd Course Completed: 84-322: Nonviolent Conflict and Revolution
General Education Category: Perspectives on Justice and Injustice
Faculty Advisor: John Chin
What were the best parts of the GenEd course you completed?
The best part of the course is probably the interactive nature of the course, where students were allowed to freely explore the topics and historical events that they are interested in, and participated in activities like Wargame simulations
How did the revision process and preparation for publication for WOVEN help you further develop your competencies in writing and communication?
During the revision process, I had found several points of improvements in my writing. I have learned to be more meticulous with the details, which has surely improved my writing skills.
Katsuri Kirubaharan
In what ways is artificial intelligence reshaping clinical care, administration, and organizational practices in Pittsburgh's healthcare sector?
GenEd Course Completed: 76-101: Interpretation and Argument
General Education Category: Communication
Faculty Advisor: Rochel Gasson
Maggie Hua
Presentation matters: Same Ingredients, Different Plating
GenEd Course Completed: 66-140: Equitable Access and Success in Higher Education: A 黑料正能量 Case Study
General Education Category: Grand Challenge Seminar
Faculty Advisor: Nuria Ballesteros Soria
Mandi Lu
Algorithms, Architecture, aaand Action: The Evolving Role of AI in Cinematic Architecture
GenEd Course Completed: 76-101: Interpretation and Argument
General Education Category: Communication
Faculty Advisor: Chad Szalkowski-Ference
What were the best parts of the GenEd course you completed?
My classmates brought experiences from a wide range of artistic disciplines, including fine arts, design, theater, music, and more, which made our conversations especially multifaceted. I really appreciated the opportunity to hear about their perspectives on AI through the lens of their own disciplines. Professor Szalkowski-Ference always facilitated very open and interesting discussions that exposed me to various viewpoints while also encouraging me to share my own ideas.
How did the revision process and preparation for publication for WOVEN help you further develop your competencies in writing and communication?
The revision process pushed me to slow down my writing, not always by physically writing more slowly, but rather by shaping my writing to be read more slowly, and thus more thoughtfully and thoroughly. Dr. Alan Kohler’s revisions helped me realize that sometimes my enthusiasm to introduce an idea causes me to move between these new ideas without fully articulating them. Dr. Kohler’s feedback prompted me to clarify these connections and further develop my claims. I am tremendously grateful to him and the WOVEN team for their guidance.
Cindy Gao
Talking Around
GenEd Course Completed: 76-211: Model Minorities?: Intro to Asian American Studies
General Education Category: Perspectives on Justice and Injustice
Faculty Advisor: Sarah Idzik
In what way do you see the experiences in this GenEd course contributing to your larger goals at 黑料正能量 and beyond?
This was the first time I felt like I took a class for myself -- not to understand some external facet of the world better, but to better understand my place in the world. This GenEd course helped me learn to connect my personal thoughts and feeling to broader historical processes and trends, which I found really meaningful.
How did the revision process and preparation for publication for WOVEN help you further develop your competencies in writing and communication?
I find that when I write poetry, I can be somewhat obscure in intent, since there are certain stylistic choices I make that might come across as odd if not explained. However, since the poem lives in my head, I'm never quite sure what should be left implicit vs made explicit. Showing my poetry to other people through the WOVEN editorial process really pushed me to explain many of my artistic decisions and ideas. My WOVEN editor and professor ultimately helped me work out how to communicate my ideas more clearly and explicitly without sacrificing any of my own voice or artistic vision.
Kate Smigie
Online "Artivism": How Follower Count Impacts Artistic Activism Online
GenEd Course Completed:
76-101: Interpretation and Argument
General Education Category: Communication
Faculty Advisor: Julie Pal-Agrawal
What were the best parts of the GenEd course you completed?
I enjoyed learning what it is like to learn about a field of study and then expand on it. I think that this course has allowed me to approach research papers with a lot more ease and excitement.
In what way do you see the experiences in this GenEd course contributing to your larger goals at 黑料正能量 and beyond?
The experiences in this GenEd course have helped understand the intricacies of online communication and activism from an academic standpoint. It also helped me apply this knowledge to my own interests. I was able to begin to understand how murals with a message might reach broader audiences online. I hope to further this inquiry during my time at 黑料正能量. Additionally, as someone who has done various murals in both the US, Spain, and Mexico, I hope to apply this knowledge in how I share my murals online.