Lisa Margonelli Named Editor-in-Chief of Zócalo Public Square

The Author and Writer Embodies Zocalo’s Mission of Connecting People to Ideas and to Each Other

Zócalo Public Square, the innovative blend of ideas journalism and live events, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Lisa Margonelli to editor-in-chief.

Founded in 2003 by executive director and publisher Gregory Rodriguez, over the past 16 years, Zócalo has evolved into a robust public forum both through its events, which have taken place in over 32 cities in the U.S. and beyond, and its online ideas journalism that is syndicated to over 290 media outlets throughout the world. Zócalo, an ASU Knowledge Enterprise, also partners with a range of publishing …

Why Termites Are Giving Humans a Lot to Chew On

The Industrious “Underbug” Isn’t Just Chomping Our Houses. It’s Furnishing Clues About the Future of Technology, Energy, and Warfare.

Apart from mosquitoes and cockroaches, termites may be the least beloved insects rambling around our planet. But they’re also among the most underappreciated of creepy-crawlies—and their example can tell us …

The Weaponization of Empathy in a Hyper-Connected World

How to Live Through the Weird Next Chapter of This Ambiguous Virtue

Every time I go on Facebook I end up staring into the eyes of a puppy. Sometimes it has been mistreated, has a bad case of mange, or worse. Sometimes …

Why Hand Counting Votes Makes Every Vote Count

From Maine to Alaska, Manual Tallies Bring Trust and Transparency to Nerve-Racking Elections

Just before the polls closed on election night, I met with 12 of my townspeople at our town hall in Maine, raised my right hand, and took an oath to …

Why I’m Teaching Myself to Eat Baitfish

My Small Town's Alewives Are the Fish of the Future

My town has a fish. Or maybe the fish has us. It’s a herring known as an alewife—about nine inches long, with a forked tail and a belly that shines …

Why Californians Should Believe in Snow Days

They’re Fun. They Fuel Our Nostalgia. They Remind Us of Our Obligation to One Another.

I’m sitting here in Maine having a snow day. I can only see about 30 feet in front of my cabin; everything beyond is obscured by white frosty particles, which …