A new initiative, the Provost’s Forum for Breaking Boundaries, will make its debut in April with two inaugural events aimed at fostering cross-disciplinary engagement. Founded by Provost and Executive Vice President Joy K. Ward, the forum aims to break down academic silos and unite scholars from diverse fields to explore common challenges and new research frontiers.
“This forum is an exciting opportunity to bring faculty together in new and meaningful ways,” said Provost Ward. “By fostering collaboration across disciplines, we hope to create an even more intellectually vibrant environment that enhances our campus culture, engages faculty, and leads to innovative research that crosses traditional boundaries to benefit society and the world at large.”
The first event, Provost’s Forum for Breaking Boundaries: Integrating Humanities and Technology, will take place on Thursday, April 17. This day-long gathering will feature a public lecture by entrepreneur, executive, educator, and author Rishi Jaitly, founder of the Virginia Tech Institute for Leadership in Technology. A former Google/YouTube executive, Twitter VP, Times Bridge CEO, and OpenAI senior advisor, Jaitly brings a wealth of experience at the intersection of technology, leadership and innovation.
Following his lecture, professors Tim Beal and Shannon French will join Jaitly for a panel discussion. The afternoon session, designed for faculty, will feature a spotlight session on how faculty work can benefit from collaborative partnerships across campus, a guided discussion on the university’s future vision in this area, and a networking reception.
Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary and International Initiatives Daniel J. Lacks—who is leading the initiative—will moderate the faculty spotlight session, providing a platform for faculty to showcase their innovative interdisciplinary projects and seek potential collaborators.
“The rapid presentations will give faculty a chance to see what others are working on, which could spark new and unexpected collaborations,” said Lacks. “For example, a data science professor might discover an application for their methods in music or literature, leading to a novel or innovative research direction. This event will not only be fun, but will help us all see the richness of our work across campus.”
The Provost’s Forum for Breaking Boundaries continues with the ELSI Think Tank. Organized by the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence, this full-day event on Wednesday, April 23, will examine the impact of emerging technologies and how they shape the human experience. Its inclusion in the forum series underscores the university’s commitment to addressing the ethical, legal, and societal implications of technological advancement.
“The ELSI Think Tank is a great event for CWRU, given our strength in technological innovation and commercialization,” said Lacks. “And it enhances the Provost’s Forum with an event that embodies the spirit of interdisciplinary exploration.”
By launching this forum, the university aims to build long-term, lasting dialogue across disciplines, highlighting existing collaborations and creating new opportunities for faculty to engage in boundary-pushing research, scholarship and creative works.For more information and to register, please visit CampusGroups.