Diana Mutz Awarded 2017 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship

Diana Mutz, Samuel A. Stouffer Professor of Political Science and Communication, has been selected to receive a 2017 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Along with 34 others, Mutz, who holds dual appointments in Penn Arts and Sciences and the Annenberg School for Communication, was chosen from nearly 200 nominations.

Now in its third year, the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship supports academic research in the social sciences and humanities, making it possible for recipients to devote time to addressing today’s issues.

During her two-year fellowship, Mutz will explore the growing backlash against globalization and why increasing numbers of people are leaning toward isolationism, despite the world being more connected than ever. She plans to study the ways in which people process proximity and how an idea perceived as “near” or “far” may offer implications for a range of perspectives on foreign affairs.

“Physical distance is closely tied to psychological distance,” Mutz said. “Seeing things is inextricably intertwined in the human brain with being near them, so things that people can see with their own eyes tend to be processed as if they were close, whereas those that are out of view are processed as if distant.”

To read more about Mutz's research, click here.