The Smithsonian is following the Chicago Way with its hire of Konrad Ng, Barack Obama's brother-in-law. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports:A University of Hawaii cinema professor, who is also President Barack Obama's brother-in-law, is serving as acting director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program this summer.The UH Manoa Academy for Creative Media said Konrad Ng, an assistant professor and scholar of Asian-American cinema and digital media, is managing the Asian Pacific American Program while the Smithsonian searches for a permanent director.Assistant Professor Ng is at the junior end of the professorial hierarchy for such a post. But in the race industry such considerations may count for less.Update: More about Dr. NG here.Dr. Ng teaches courses in the Critical Studies track of the ACM curriculum. His current research and teaching interests include: the aesthetics, history, philosophy and politics of cinema and digital media; Asian and Asian American/Canadian film...(Read Full Post)