Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society Seidner Executive Director Laura J. Steinberg has announced a series of Schiller Institute Faculty Convenings, which begin on March 26 and run through mid-April.
Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society Seidner Executive Director Laura J. Steinberg
In a recent email message, she invited faculty members to take part in interactive Zoom conversations about the future of the Schiller Institute, and the ways in which it can support and inspire both their classroom work and research.
“The Schiller Institute aims to advance the common good by addressing critical societal issues through interdisciplinary approaches to research, pedagogy, and public engagement,” Steinberg wrote. “A defining feature of the Institute is its conception as a place which draws upon and supports the expertise and perspectives of faculty across all of Boston College’s departments, schools, and colleges.”
Steinberg outlined the fourfold purpose of these faculty conversations:
- to provide an overview of the Schiller mission and long-term directions;
- to gather thoughts about the role that Schiller could play in faculty scholarship and pedagogy, in the BC community more broadly, and in advancing the common good;
- to begin a University-wide conversation about where Boston College—through strategic investments in new faculty and other resources—can focus its research efforts, with special emphasis in the Schiller Institute’s initial research focus areas of the natural environment, energy, and health;
- and to begin the process of creating communities of scholars on campus with shared research or pedagogical interests, particularly for the purposes of developing new interdisciplinary academic programming, or developing new research collaborations focusing on some aspect of the natural environment, energy, or health.
The 12 scheduled meetings—each limited to 15 participants admitted on a first-come, first-served basis—have drawn significant interest from faculty members. Faculty are encouraged to sign up soon at the convenings website, where the full schedule is available.
Steinberg also outlined other ways in which faculty can get involved with the Schiller Institute: by applying for Grants for Exploratory Collaborative Scholarship, promoting the Student Challenge for Grappling with Environmental Racism, and viewing its popular Confronting Environmental Racism webinars.
Faculty members with further questions may email schiller.institute@bc.edu.
University Communications \ March 2021