CHSS Launches New Big Questions Event Series

2023 Dean's Scholars, from left, Narisa Khan and Lydia Diedrich; College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Dani MacCartney, and 2023 Dean's Scholar Maya Asadova.  Photo by Cencio Boc

The Big Questions Event Series is a vehicle for faculty and students, as well as experts beyond Webster University to demonstrate how the humanities and social sciences help us understand contemporary social problems and take action to resolve them.

English Professor Karla Armbruster organized the first series in 2022-2023 around the theme “Why are people banning books and what can we do about it?”

Faculty members from across the university, but primarily from departments in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences have contributed to the subsequent themes, “Why has public discourse become so divisive and what can we do about it?” and this year’s theme, “How can we responsibly use rapidly changing technology?”  Some faculty have presented with undergraduate students.

International Relations Professor Dani Belo (who presented with undergraduate student Josh Hayes in September) strongly advocates for this kind of student-faculty collaboration: “As a professor, I’ve seen firsthand how presenting alongside undergraduate students on BQ panels fosters their confidence, deepens their subject matter expertise, and provides them with invaluable professional exposure. These collaborations not only enhance students’ academic development, but also offer them a platform to actively engage with real-world policy discussions, setting them on a path toward impactful careers.”

Professor Dani Belo presents on Beyond Human Decision Making: AI's Role in the 2023 Israel-Gaza Conflict.  Photo by Dominique Macaire

Students can also initiate on their own the organization of a panel related to the annual theme. What is important, believes recent graduate Narisa Khan, is that students “experience what the Big Questions Series is all about and from there, cultivate their own thoughts and ask questions. This should be a safe space where people can be seen and heard.”

The 2023 Dean's Scholars, Narisa Khan, from left, Lydia Diedrich and Maya Asadova, presenting on what they learned from The Big Questions Event Series at the RAD Conference in May 2024.  Photo by Cencio Boc

Presenters are asked to keep their presentations short and to engage with the audience through more robust question-and-answer sessions. Outside guests have occasionally embraced a popular, alternative presentation format – interactive workshops. All Big Questions events attract primarily students, but also faculty, staff and community members who share thoughts about these key social questions. The themes are similarly chosen in collaborative fashion, with feedback from both students and faculty. 

Any Webster student who attends multiple events can choose to participate in the Dean’s Scholars program that celebrates and acknowledges learning that happens beyond the classroom. After completing their own research on the Big Question of the year, the Dean’s Scholars present their findings at a panel at the Research Across the Disciplines (RAD) Conference. Lydia Diedrich (a senior History major) found this way of synthesizing what she found rewarding about the Big Questions discussions: “All of my expectations of the Dean’s Scholar experience have been met — and then some. Presenting at the Research Across Disciplines event was an amazing lesson of its own and provided us on the panel with hands-on public speaking experience.”

Students are currently signing up for the Fall 2024 Dean’s Scholars Program and planning for the varied fall programming.