The change suggests a wider cultural acceptance of the 鈥渟inister鈥� hand preference, and offers representation for lefty fans of the beloved animated films.

The findings, 鈥淧rincess hands: Handedness of protagonists versus antagonists in Disney鈥檚 鈥楶rincess鈥� animated movies,鈥� were recently published in the academic journal .

Main findings

• Before about 1992, princesses were more right-handed than villains. Over time, princesses got more left-handed, while villains鈥� handedness stayed the same.
• In general, the characters were less strongly handed than in real life 鈥� most would be considered ambidextrous by the researchers鈥� definitions.
• Tiana (鈥淭he Princess and the Frog鈥�) and Belle (鈥淏eauty and the Beast鈥�), both princesses, are the most left-handed; Villains Jafar (鈥淎laddin鈥�), Dr. Facilier (鈥淭he Princess and the Frog鈥�) and Namaari (鈥淩aya and the Last Dragon鈥�) were also left-handed.
• Mor鈥橠u (鈥淏rave鈥�) and Maleficent (鈥淪leeping Beauty鈥�) 鈥� both villains 鈥� were identified strongly right-handed.

More about the study

The research team, which included two undergraduate students at 麻豆传媒在线, examined hand use of princesses and villains in 13 official Disney Princess movies. They counted how many times each princess or villain performed various activities with one hand or the other, using three different handedness questionnaires including the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI).

鈥淥ur goal was to see if villains were more left-handed than princesses because culturally, evil is associated with the left-handed, and whether any left-evil associations had changed over time, given changes in culture,鈥� says Ruth Propper, lead researcher and professor of Psychology.

Each Disney princess and villain was assigned a handedness score (-100 being perfectly lefty and +100 perfectly righty) and the results show that over time, princesses have become less right-handed, especially after about 1992, while villains have remained stable in their handedness.

Overall, the characters were much less right-handed than the human population.

What the researchers say

Prior to 1992, Propper explains, princesses were more right-handed than villains, while after 1992 princesses became more left-handed than villains.

So, what changed?

鈥淲e suspect that there are many factors at play here.鈥� Propper says. 鈥淥ne possibility is that around the early 1990s the 鈥楴ine Old Men,鈥� the animators responsible for most Disney movies from the 1930s to the 1990s, retired.

鈥淚t鈥檚 possible that the new animators who were hired had less bias against left-handedness, as cultural views about lefties had changed. Certainly there are likely pragmatic reasons as well, and we don鈥檛 know the actual handedness of the animators, which could also have been a factor.鈥�

Why it matters

The research and methodology were inspired by existing research Propper encountered analyzing early 1900s documentary footage to estimate rates of left-handedness at that time. Propper and her research team took the innovative approach a step further, utilizing Disney princess films that offer clear distinctions between protagonists and antagonists and allow for meaningful comparisons across character types.

Additionally, 鈥渂ecause the characters are animated, handedness is a deliberate choice made by animators, which may reflect cultural assumptions or biases, rather than simply the natural handedness of an actor,鈥� Propper says. Since the Disney princess films span roughly 80 years, this also gave researchers an opportunity to examine potential cultural shifts over time.

Propper says this study demonstrates that research does not always need to be complex or highly technical. And, it speaks to representation.

鈥淟eft-handed individuals have often been described as lacking a clear cultural identity and may feel overlooked or negatively stereotyped,鈥� says Propper. 鈥淪eeing left-handed traits reflected in familiar and beloved figures, such as Disney princesses, can contribute to a sense of inclusion and reduce feelings of isolation.鈥�

The findings also suggest a societal shift over the last 80 years: left-handedness appears to be more accepted today than in the past, and is no longer associated with the same negative or stigmatized beliefs as it once was.

鈥淭hese films are culturally iconic, widely recognized, and meaningful to many audiences, which makes them a relevant context for this type of analysis,鈥� Propper says.

For media inquiries

Contact the Media Relations team to schedule an interview with the researcher about this topic. See more Faculty Experts and hi-res media assets available for download.

Co-hosted by the Center for Heritage and Archaeological Studies (CHAS), this event offered a rare look at the innovative methods used to investigate and preserve ancient heritage increasingly affected by rising groundwater.

The lecture鈥檚 success reflects the vibrant scholarly environment of MSU鈥檚 Department of Classics and General Humanities, where students and faculty continue to engage with the forefront of archaeological research and public heritage. Together, AIA and CHAS are putting our campus at the heart of global discovery!

The lecture鈥檚 success reflects the vibrant scholarly environment fostered by CHAS and the Department of Classics and General Humanities, which serve as a vital bridge for archaeological research and public heritage on campus. AIA and CHAS are leading the conversation on the future of archaeological science and public engagement.

Pearce Paul Creasman, Ph.D. | Amman, Jordan

Lecture – DIVING THE PYRAMIDS: Underwater Tombs and Excavation at the Royal Cemetery of Nuri, Sudan | March 31, 2026 | Dickson Hall, 麻豆传媒在线

Blending excerpts from audiovisual archival material, literary sources, and original video-interviews with direct witnesses of the 1943 Allied Landing in Sicily, the presentation read a largely forgotten pivotal historical event of WWII through the lens of foodways. In Fiore’s approach, as a memory and narrative device, food allows for an alternate history of the liberation campaign through complicating both the myth of the Land of Abundance incarnated by the U.S. military forces and the image of a destitute Sicily that the Americans embraced.

Included in the Jerre Mangione Lecture Series and sponsored by the Center for Italian Studies, the lecture fostered a lively debate among graduate students and faculty alike with a mix of touching family recollections, intellectual curiosity towards the subject, and careful inquiry about the research methodology.

March 10, 2026 marked the launch of , a book co-translated from Italian by Dr. Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, WLC Department). Written by Nikolai Prestia in Italian, this autofiction work was published by Rutgers University Press in the OVOI series (Other Voices in Italian). Enriched by a preface by Loredana Polezzi, a translator鈥檚 note by Teresa Fiore, and the cover photo by Lilia Pino Blouin created specifically for the book, the publication is part of a collaboration between the author and a mother-daughter translator duo, Teresa Fiore and Daniela Chaudhary Fiore.

Largely based on Prestia’s early life, the novel portrays the experience of the protagonist Kola growing up in 1990s Russia in a family marked by poverty, substance abuse, and neglect, which is the reason why Kola and his sister are eventually admitted into the orphanage system. Here, Kola comes face to face with a different but equally daunting challenge: navigating an unfamiliar and sometimes hostile world haunted by the absence of his mother. The ensuing journey, which eventually culminates in the adoption by an Italian family, alternates moments of both trauma and deliverance, while asking fundamental questions about our ability to reconcile ourselves with unfathomable loss.

Harrowing yet lyrical, Nikolai Prestia鈥檚 prize-winning 2021 novel is a testament to the duality of memory in its ability to both hurt and heal, and to the transformative power of those figures, adults and peers alike, who contribute to a child鈥檚 development. A rarity even in the realm of books on adoption, the novel serves up a wrenching glimpse into the back stories that often precede the adoption of an older child.

In Italy, the book was the winner of the Massarosa Literary Prize for Debut Novel, was long listed for the Comisso Prize, and short listed for the Premio Zocca Giovani. Originally published in 2022 by Marislio, it was reprinted in the prestigious Economica Feltrinelli series after several reprints. See some early .

Special thanks to Alessandro Vettori for embracing the proposal in 2022, Sandra Waters and Eilis Kierans for their wordsmithing as editors, Carah Nasseem, and the whole team at Rutgers University Press, for bringing the project into harbor. This project was also made possible through the support of presentations, workshops, and services by the Inserra Chair at 麻豆传媒在线 over the years.

Presentations of the book in Italian:
1. Online conversation with Nikolai Prestia at 麻豆传媒在线 (2022)
2. In-person presentation in Sicily (2024)

Part of the broader project launched by Dr. Fiore, titled Adoption Studies.

As an international student from Mexico, she was drawn to 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 computing program and the chance to build a tech career. After she excelled in a German language course, that success became the first step toward building multiple degrees, as faculty encouraged her to add German, explore linguistics and step into teaching and research roles she had never considered. She even turned her work with children in German into a research project on how programs like the SPARK Lab influence college students鈥� interest in teaching.

鈥淥ne of the most important things I鈥檝e learned at 麻豆传媒在线 is that you don鈥檛 have to limit yourself to just one thing,鈥� Zarate Gonzalez says.

At 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 SPARK Lab, Isabella Zarate Gonzalez collaborates with fellow students to plan German lessons for local schoolchildren as part of a national 鈥楽PARK for German鈥� teaching network. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Community鈥慹ngaged learning that opens doors

The SPARK Lab is a partnership between 麻豆传媒在线 and nearby schools, giving children early access to world languages while mentoring college students into community鈥慺ocused leadership roles. It is part of a national network supported by the . Zarate Gonzalez is among the students who teach German to elementary school children one hour a week for six weeks each semester, including a Meistergruppe for kids who speak German as a heritage language.

Children in 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 SPARK Lab listen to German fairy tales. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

As part of a multi鈥憉niversity research project with the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the University of St. Thomas and the University of Chicago, she led data collection and analysis on how SPARK affects college students. She focused on whether experiences like the SPARK Lab encourage students to consider teaching German and what broadly applicable professional skills they gain, surveying 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 student instructors about their motivations and how teaching had changed their career plans.

The research findings, co鈥慳uthored with faculty and collaborators at the four campuses, were and presented at the 2023 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages conference in Chicago.

At 麻豆传媒在线, Isabella Zarate Gonzalez found support to grow a single major into three degrees 鈥� Data Science, Language, Business and Culture, and German 鈥� plus a minor in Linguistics. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Studying abroad with scholarship support

Scholarship support opened the world for Zarate Gonzalez.

Through the听 麻豆传媒在线鈥揋raz Sister City Scholarship, she spent the 2024鈥�25 academic year studying in Graz, Austria. The full scholarship, funded by 麻豆传媒在线, 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 Overseas Neighbors and the City of Graz, provides free tuition, room and a small stipend and sends two 麻豆传媒在线 undergraduates each year to study in 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 sister city.

麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 status as a Hispanic鈥慡erving Institution also helped her win a full scholarship to Middlebury鈥檚 prestigious German Language School, a summer immersion program.

鈥淭here aren鈥檛 a lot of people who can say, 鈥楾his university allowed me to do three bachelor鈥檚 degrees, win full scholarships and study abroad in Europe,鈥欌�� she says.

Isabella Zarate Gonzalez talks with Associate Professor Pascale LaFountain in 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 SPARK Lab. In addition to their work there, Zarate Gonzalez joined LaFountain on a translation project for an archive of Austrian Jewish history. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Hands-on research and a peek into history

Advanced language study also led Zarate Gonzalez into meaningful work and helped her discover the academic field that ties her interests together. With Associate Professor Pascale LaFountain and local resident Diane Forman, she worked on a translation project for an extraordinary archive of Austrian Jewish history centered on Forman鈥檚 grandfather, composer Wilhelm Grosz.

The team organized and translated Grosz鈥檚 letters 鈥� including correspondence with figures such as Leonard Bernstein and Langston Hughes 鈥� along with his musical manuscripts, Nazi鈥慹ra property documents and personal library, preparing the materials for the Exil.arte Jewish music archive in Austria.

For Zarate Gonzalez, working so closely with those documents made the Holocaust feel personal and showed her how language skills and data鈥慸riven thinking could come together in fields like Computational Linguistics.

Looking ahead

When Zarate Gonzalez graduates in May 2026, she will have earned degrees in Data Science; Language, Business and Culture; and German, plus a minor in Linguistics 鈥� all completed in four years.

Now, as she looks ahead, she is exploring teaching opportunities in both German and STEM fields and planning for a future master鈥檚 program in Computational Linguistics.

鈥淚 think about what would have happened if I had chosen not to come to 麻豆传媒在线,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y life would be completely different. I genuinely believe I got the most out of it.鈥�

Ready to start your 麻豆传媒在线 journey? Learn more about the College of Science and Mathematics and the Department of World Languages and Cultures at 麻豆传媒在线.

Accepted students: Make it official by submitting your new student deposit and registering to attend Accepted Students Day.

The showcase features 13 presentations spanning the humanities, social sciences, communication, education and business. Projects examine issues such as equity and inclusion, economic inequality, human trafficking, and community well-being, alongside interdisciplinary work in media, culture, and religion. Presentations also highlight collaborations that use data analysis, advocacy, and community engagement to better understand and respond to complex social challenges.

Each project highlights how interdisciplinary collaboration fosters new insights, community partnerships, and real-world impact. From community-engaged research to program design and creative pedagogy, the presentations demonstrate how scholars and students expand the boundaries of traditional disciplines to address complex challenges.

The Interdisciplinary Showcase invites colleagues from across the university to explore ideas, connect with peers, and spark new collaborations that advance 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 mission of inclusive innovation.

Throughout the day, participants can take part in hands-on workshops and interactive experiences led by artists, performers and educators from across the university. Write and refine your work in a poetry workshop, experiment with collage or sculpture in a mixed-media art session, or capture the world through a digital photography workshop guided by a professional photographer. Those interested in movement and performance can join beginner-friendly dance and improvisational theater workshops, while others can experience the rhythms of traditional West African drumming, singing and dancing in an energetic participatory session.

In celebration of 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 commitment to literary and cultural expression, we are proud to co-sponsor events both on campus and in downtown 麻豆传媒在线. With festival programming taking place throughout the community, attendees will have even more opportunities to connect with authors, artists and thinkers who bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the conversation.

Through words, movement, music and creative practice, Express Yourself! invites us to share experiences, learn new skills and engage with one another in meaningful ways. Join us for a day of creativity, dialogue and discovery!

Express Yourself! Workshops and Events

Join us for hands-on workshops and interactive experiences on Saturday, May 9, 2026. All events are open to all and free, but registration is required.

Acting Out: Improv Group Style
9 -10:15 a.m.,听 Life Hall room 1200
Crowd Source Acting is about using improvisation to act in the moment. Participants will be guided in an improvisational game that allows them to experience dropping into a roll and having the inspiration of those around them to achieve a common goal. That goal could be silly, serious, or absurd. Join us for a round or two of a game called Family Portraits, guided by Theatre department practitioners.

A Moving Experience For All
10:30-11:45 a.m., Life Hall 1210
This session will be a dance class for beginners, emphasizing freedom of movement and some basic dance moves.

Got Art? Take This Workshop
12:00-1:15 p.m., Calcia Hall 245
Participants will explore a visual arts technique such as collage, clay sculpting, or mixed media and create a unique work. Guided by an artist educator, attendees will learn simple methods and experiment with materials during the session.

Snap Snap: Taking Just the Right Picture
1:30-2:45 p.m., Feliciano School of Business Lawn
This digital photography workshop will start with a presentation on the powerful choices available for capturing and documenting the world with your camera. Each participant will be given directions for taking a photograph from a specific location on campus. Jenelle Covino, Adjunct Professor of Art and Design, will guide participants to utilize basic photo retouching principles to bring each digital photograph to life. You can bring your digital camera or use your cell phone to photograph for this workshop. This workshop is suitable for all ages and all experience levels of photography.

Drumming Up a Crowd, the West African Way
3:00-4:15 p.m.; Feliciano School of Business Lawn
The 麻豆传媒在线 West African Drumming and Dance Ensemble will perform and engage everyone to participate in traditional West African recreational music. We play a strong weave of polyrhythms on traditional drums, bells and rattles, and those in attendance will drum with us, sing with us in call and response in a West African language, and dance traditional movements with us, directed by calls from the lead drum.

Let鈥檚 Get Physical: Writing Poetry about Memory and the Body
4:30-5:45 p.m. Feliciano School of Business Room 140
In this generative poetry workshop, we will begin by bringing our memories to life on the page. We will then expand to writing about embodied experiences. Participants will leave this workshop having written two new poems and having received feedback on one of the poems. They will also leave with a few additional tools in their writers’ toolbox.

Carlos’ translated articles will appear in the “” section of The Montclarion website. The first translated article is our story on the cultural impact of Bad Bunny’s Super Halftime show. We are also planning to publish original stories written in Spanish that will then be translated into English.

Thanks to , Chair of the Department of Spanish and Latin Studies; , Internship Coordinator at CHSS; and , Director of Career Services at CCOM for their work on creating this new internship.

Learn more:听

This milestone event, the first IMLD celebration at this scale on campus, was led by and and brought together more than a dozen units across campus and beyond, reflecting an extraordinary level of collaboration and shared commitment to multilingualism.

Participating departments, centers, and offices included: CLaSE (Center for Latino Heritage and Spanish Language Excellence), Anthropology, Linguistics, Spanish & Latino Studies, World Languages & Cultures, NJCIJ (New Jersey Center for Indigenous Justice), Writing Studies, the Office of Global Engagement, the Office of Inclusive Excellence, the Office for Hispanic Initiatives, and Sprague Library.

The event also featured strong participation from international students and student organizations, including MASA, PASO, LASO, ESA, and NAIS, whose engagement contributed to the dynamic and inclusive atmosphere of the day.

With over 300 attendees, including students, staff, faculty, and members of Indigenous groups from Latin America and Native American communities, this event became a vibrant testament to the linguistic and cultural richness that defines our campus and surrounding areas.

The First Floor Reading Room of Sprague Library was transformed into an immersive, global experience where participants 鈥渢raveled鈥� across languages. Each attendee received a 鈥渓anguage passport鈥�, guiding them through a journey across more than twenty interactive tables, each representing a different language and cultural context or perspective. As they moved from table to table, they collected stamps or stickers while engaging in activities that celebrated language as a living, dynamic force.

Students explored language through creativity, play, and reflection. They became 鈥淰ocabulary Detectives,鈥� shared regional expressions at the 鈥淭each Us Your Dialect鈥� table, and connected through challenges like 鈥淟anguage Mapping鈥� and 鈥淭ranslation Challenges鈥�. At other tables, they mapped their linguistic identities, contributed to a 鈥淲ord Wall鈥�, and responded to prompts such as 鈥淭ell Us in Your Language鈥� and 鈥淲here in the World Is Your Language?鈥�

Hands-on cultural experiences added depth and beauty to the event. Participants practiced Chinese calligraphy, learned to write their names in Korean, and explored basic expressions in French and Mazahua. They also engaged with global Indigenous cultures through interactive Kichwa language guessing activities and the Navajo String Game.

Other stations invited deeper reflection on language as identity and future. Through activities including 鈥淟anguage Futures Survey鈥�, 鈥淲ords of Wisdom鈥�, and the 鈥淟atin American Slang Wall -驴C贸mo se dice?鈥�,听 we celebrated the emotional and cultural connections embedded in language.

A highlight of the event was the series of four lightning panels, which brought powerful voices and perspectives into the room. These included presentations by Dr. Jesse Ha (Teaching & Learning), Librarian Catherine Oliver, Ver贸nica Muenala, Pr贸spero Martinez and El铆as Hilario Guzm谩n (members of the Concejo de Pueblos Originarios), Precious Benally (Director of NJCIJ), and three outstanding students, Alondra Molina, Sofia Andersen Garreffa and Kaung Hla Zan. Presenters provided deeply moving personal reflections and scholarly insights, reminding us of the individual, cultural, and political significance of language in people鈥檚 lives.

The event also created meaningful bridges across time and tradition. Participants read graffiti from the ancient world and engaged with Indigenous languages and knowledge systems, reminding us that language is not only communication, but memory, resistance, and continuity.

Throughout the room, there was laughter, curiosity, and a powerful sense of belonging. Languages were spoken and celebrated, not as barriers, but as bridges. The presence of President Koppell, who joined the celebration and expressed appreciation for the energy and vibrant participation of attendees further underscored the importance of this collective moment.

This celebration was more than an event. It was a living expression of what it means to be part of a multilingual, multicultural campus space where every language is recognized as a source of strength.

See you next year!

Dr. Maisa Taha and Dr. Antonella Calarota-Ninman