November 21, 2024

What are we doing here?

UW Honors event on “The Role of Public Research Universities” sparks hope and ideas for the future.

We know what universities are, but what does it mean to attach these two modifiers – “public” and “research” – to that term? What does it mean to be the kind of university that is both public and dedicated not only to teaching but also to research – to being a producer and a repository of knowledge?*

Thus began the UW Honors Program’s tenth annual Global Challenges — Interdisciplinary Thinking event: a series of fast-paced conversations between thought leaders from different disciplines on complex issues that matter to our students. Our Nov. 13 conversation on “The Role of Public Research Universities [in today’s world]” was carefully led by what students wanted to learn. Moderator Jaya Field (LSJ/International Studies) (seen far right in the photo below), worked closely with Honors Program Director Stephanie Smallwood (History/CHID) to incorporate feedback from her fellow Honors students into questions that invited stories and insights from the unique perspectives of three very different UW faculty, one of whom is also a graduate student in the UW’s School of Law.

The featured speakers (shown above, left to right): Ed Taylor (College of Education), Megan McCloskey (Law School and the Jackson School of International Studies), and Joseph Janes (iSchool), engaged in a dynamic, often candid discussion on interdisciplinary approaches to teaching, learning and research; the history of public universities (which are relatively new and “fragile” things); examples of who benefits from and contributes to knowledge production; and more. The night was rich with stories involving the Dali Lama, the impacts of publicly-funded research, and so much more. 

It’s impossible to summarize or even relate the scope of this atmospheric conversation, but we’re excited to share a few takeaways from UW Honors students. 

Audience Takeaways

You contain multitudes: Anika Mehta, an Interdisciplinary Honors student double-majoring in Law, Societies & Justice and the Comparative History of Ideas, laughed at the (very accomplished) attorney, PhD candidate and UW lecturer Megan McCloskey’s response to what [she] wanted to be? with this phrase: “I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” Anika reflected: “As an undergrad who’s trying to figure out where my passions and interests fit into this world, this was a reminder that we can—and often are meant to—inhabit multiple and varied spaces. That we are allowed to not know exactly how to define ourselves and we do the work of liberation, in part, by bringing our passions and interests into the many spaces we occupy.”

Professors are people who care: Moa Valentin, a first-year student in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program, shared a few of their key takeaways after watching the recording: “It’s cool to see how professors not just here to teach us, but they are also conducting a bunch of cutting-edge research. I feel as if we do not think about these things when we attend their classes, so it is fascinating to have a conversation highlighting that. They emphasized compassion and how interdisciplinary thinking helps us all understand each other. I find it comforting and inspiring to know that there are academics and people in careers that I am interested in who prioritize those ideas. It gives me a little more faith in humanity.”

Noticing and questioning is research: Anna Fuss is an Interdisciplinary Honors student majoring in Biochemistry. In a competitive and STEM-centered university, the idea of research (whether to earn a scholarship, get into grad school, or develop a deeper understanding of your subject) is alluring—but it can also feel like a lot of pressure. Anna says they’re excited to now see the University “as a place of a constant absorption of information in your surroundings. Through this way of being, we are always engaging in research. Research is not limited to its published status or how many studies you run. Any form of inquiry is inherently a form of scholarship and research.” 

Research starts with questions that matter to you: Taylor Arredondo, a sophomore majoring in political science, reflected on how speakers worked to expand our notions of what “counts” as research. You might already be “involved with research” and not even know it. Taylor captured a few specifics from the talk: “Ed Taylor emphasized resources like the Office of Undergraduate Research and CELE in Undergraduate Academic Affairs. Megan McCloskey encouraged everyone to “just talk to faculty” after class or during office hours. Joseph Janes gave pointers on HOW to approach faculty about involvement. Think, first, about what you as a student want out of research. Start with what piques your curiosity and instead of saying ‘can I do research with you?’ build connections with what you heard in class or from other aspects of the professor’s work. Share that you are open to research opportunities around those issues or questions.”

What next?

As the event drew to an end, each speaker took a moment to reflect on what they’d learned and hoped the audience would do with the conversation. Adept at having the last word, Joseph Janes cautioned us not to take public research universities for granted and to “do right.” He waved a tiny button from the 1939 World’s Fair that read: “I have seen the future.”

“I have seen the future, and I see it [here] every day,” Janes concluded. Good conversations open up good questions. What’s something future you will be glad to have done at/for/because of this public research university?

A Shortlist of Things to Do

*Excerpted from Honors Program Director and History/CHID Professor Stephanie Smallwood’s opening remarks.