The Clarke Forum For Contemporary Issues

Student Project Manager Maggie Maston ’28 interviews Norma Kawelokū Wong, Zen Master, Native Hawaiian, and political strategist. Norma reflects on the methods and lessons she has gained through years of bridging divide and fostering collaboration. Looking ahead, she shares her perspective on how evolving technology and communication are shaping the future, as well as her personal response to the demands of modern life. She also offers a deeper look into her practice at the Rinzai Zen temple, Daihonzan Chozen-ji. Read more

Student Project Manager Maggie Maston ’28 interviews David L. McMahan, Professor of Religious Studies at Franklin & Marshall College. Spanning ancient Buddhist scripture to the present day, McMahan explores how Buddhism has evolved over centuries into its many contemporary forms. He discusses how his personal interest in the subject led him to a career in academia, as well as how he approaches teaching Buddhism in the college classroom. Finally, McMahan shares insight into the creation and inspiration behind his mixed-media collage work. Read more

Student Project Manager Ian Chavez ’28 interviews Matthew Turpin, a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institute and former director for China on the U.S. National Security Council. They discuss the current U.S.-China relationship and explore the challenges to cooperation between the two superpowers. The interview explores the economic, political, and military factors that complicate the relationship and evaluate the effectiveness of current U.S. policy. Read more

Student Project Manager Charlotte Minnick ’28 interviews Elaine McMillion Sheldon, filmmaker and director of the 2023 film King Coal. McMillion Sheldon discusses her history of filmmaking, the process of creating King Coal, and some behind-the-scenes insight on the film. She shares her experiences with sharing others’ stories, as well as how this film tells her own. Lastly, McMillion Sheldon discusses her current project. Read more

Student Project Manager Supasinee Siripun ’27 interviews David Sulzer, accomplished neuroscientist and musician visiting from Columbia University. They discuss music, its effects on human culture and how it’s perceived by non-human species, alongside the future of music with the rise of artificial intelligence. Read more

Sarah Nance, assistant professor of integrated practice at Binghamton University, SUNY, discusses her art and how she integrates all kinds of data into her art. She also muses on the creative process specifically how being an interdisciplinary artist affects her process. The interview also touches on her experience at the 2051 Munich Climate Conference and advice she would give to young artists. This interview is being conducted by Eli Scott-Joseph ’28, Clarke Forum student project manager. Read more

Student Project Manager Isa Mester ’26 interviews Seyla Benhabib, renowned philosopher and legal scholar. In the conversation, Benhabib reflects on the current global state of refugee law and examines the challenges facing the postwar international order. She explores the deep connection between philosophy and law, emphasizing how legal categories shape our understanding of justice and human rights. Despite the often difficult and emotionally taxing nature of the field, Benhabib expresses a sense of hope and the importance of continuing this work. The interview concludes with her insights on the intellectual and personal tools necessary to succeed in the study and practice of international law. Read more

Student project manager Kylie De La Cruz ’27 interviews Dr. Phoebe R. Stubblefield, director of the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory at the University of Florida and lead forensic anthropologist in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Investigation. Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Stubblefield recognizes the importance of community participation in the investigation; with familial ties to Greenwood and the Massacre, she knows the impact of learning about one’s legacy on community healing. She considers how individuals can exercise agency over their bodies post mortem, describes the archival struggle of piecing together and tracing the individual histories of Tulsan victims, and discusses the importance of race categorization in bringing people’s remains “home” to their family. Read more

In this interview, Joshua Tucker, co-director of the Center for Social Media and Politics, professor of politics at New York University and director of the Jordan Center for Advanced Study of Russia, dives into his motivations for research at the intersection of social media and politics. He also addresses the methodological challenges of this type of research, particularly how to get data, and highlights the importance of large companies improving data transparency. Additionally, Professor Tucker discusses the popular notion of “online echo chambers” and explains how political content moderation is problematized on the largest social media platforms. This interview was conducted by Bella Lapp ’26, Student Project Manager. Read more

Student Project Manager and Co-Supervisor Layla Ilarraza ’26 interviews Hannah Beckler, award winning investigative reporter for Business Insider. Beckler discusses her work on “The True Cost of Data Centers” series which follows the increasing rise of hyperscale data centers throughout the United States. The interview also touches on the lack of transparency in the construction of data centers, their environmental impacts, and the absence of current regulation. Lastly, Beckler talks about ongoing regulation efforts and the future of data centers. Read more

Student Project Manager Maggie Maston ’28 interviews Dr. Saher Selod, author and director of research for the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. Dr. Selod discusses the intersections of race and religion as well as her research on Muslims and surveillance. She shares her experience with interviewing Muslims and how it has shaped her thought on racialization. Finally, Dr. Selod breaks down key findings from the ISPU’s 2025 American Muslim Poll, examining their most pressing societal implications. Read more

In this interview, Jaclyn Corin, survivor of the 2018 Parkland shooting and executive director of March For Our Lives, discusses the process of founding March for Our Lives with her classmates from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She gives insight into the organization’s recent structural changes as well as advice on navigating ongoing challenges in the shrinking federal landscape of gun control. Overall, Jaclyn speaks to the importance of collaboration when organizing under pressure from powerful politicians and their lobbyists. Read more

Andrew K. Ankamah Jr. (The Accountability Initiative) and Larren Wells (Students Demand Action, Pittsburgh Chapter) discuss how they got involved in the gun violence prevention movement. Ankamah explains how community engagement can function as a form of gun violence prevention and speaks to the value of college readiness workshops that The Accountability Initiative’s Temple chapter has conducted with high school students. Wells touches on her personal experiences with gun violence, the importance of framing gun control as a public health issue, and civic engagement strategies organized by her chapter of Students Demand Action. The interview was conducted by Bella Lapp ’26, Clarke Forum student project manager. Read more

Student Project Manager and Co-Supervisor Layla Ilarraza ’26 interviews Dr. Judith Grisel, neuroscientist and a professor of psychology at Bucknell University, and author of the book “Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction.” Dr. Grisel discusses the brain’s role in studying addiction, the many pathways to addiction, and how we as a country and community can best treat addiction. The interview also touches on how other species, like insects, have chemically induced experiences similar to humans. Lastly, Dr. Grisel gives advice to parents and students on how to mitigate addiction on college campuses. Read more

Student project manager Kylie De La Cruz ’27 interviews Juliana Tafur Juliana, director of UC Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences program. Tafur was inspired by the polarization and “othering” she witnessed during the 2016 U.S. presidential election to start the List(e)n Courageously Movement and help individuals bridge political and cultural divides. Tafur discusses tools and strategies to have meaningful “bridging” conversations, explores what it means to find commonality versus common ground, and stresses the significance of one’s positionality or “situatedness” in these discussions. Read more

Shayna Herzfeld ‘25, student project co-supervisor, interviews Professor of Linguistics and Translation, Amélie Josselin-Leray from the University of Toulouse, Jean Jaurès. During this conversation, they discuss the process of translation and the ways in which it has changed over time. In the past several decades, translation technology has experienced rapid growth, especially in the realm of artificial intelligence, though translators have been using machine assistance in their work for nearly 100 years. Listen to learn about Dr. Josselin-Leray’s proposed path forward, where translators can work with and benefit from machine translation tools and artificial intelligence. Read more

Clarke Forum Student Project Manager Supasinee Siripun ’27 sits down with Dr. Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill, director of the Campus Free Expression Project to discuss the importance of free speech in higher education institutions. Pfeffer Merrill brings real world experience to describe the current need for constructive discourse among young adults, spotlighting Dickinson’s own program – Dialogues Across Differences. Read more

Student Project Manager Noah Salsich ’25 interviews Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a 250th generation Hopi dry farmer and an assistant professor of Indigenous resilience at the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment. In this interview, Kotutwa Johnson talks about the importance of Indigenous recognition, as well as comments on modern sustainable agricultural techniques and land-back movements. The interview also touches on some of the pushback Indigeous people have faced from the scientific community and Dr. Johnson’s responses to this. Read more

Student project manager Kylie De La Cruz ’27 interviews Dr. Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Dr. McNutt shares her thoughts on the rise of scientific misinformation and disinformation and discusses how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can exacerbate, but also combat, the spread of false information. As a geophysicist, Dr. McNutt describes her experience integrating the use of AI into her work, and comments on the role the NAS will play in the future of AI in science. Read more

Student project manager Kylie De La Cruz ’27 interviews Sarah Niebler, associate professor of political science at Dickinson College. Professor Niebler shares her thoughts on the 2024 U.S. presidential election and discusses trends in political behavior, election processes, and political science scholarship. She describes how media and emotionality have shaped American politics, and comments on the future of the U.S. and its election process. Read more

In this interview, student co-supervisor Georgia Schaefer-Brown ’25, talks with Pascaline Dupas, development economist and professor at Princeton University, who discusses her specific areas of research: health, education, and access to financial tools, and describes how exploring the interconnectedness of these issues originally drew her to this field. The interview also covers how different approaches to research projects are heavily influenced by qualitative observations or discussions– Dupas states that it is important that the data and project direction match the lived experiences of people. She discusses her privilege in research work, and how she considers foreign development in Africa to be reparations, not charity. The second half of the interview does a deep dive into one of Dupas’s research papers, a 2015 project examining labeled cash transfers in Morocco, and the impact of its unique findings on the development community. Lastly, Dupas gives advice to undergraduate students interested in pursuing work in development economics. Read more

Dr. Robin Darling Young, professor of church history at the Catholic University of America, discusses her translation process, the role of Western scholars in the Middle East, her journey to her area of expertise, and misconceptions about Gnosticism. She also highlights the importance of differing interpretations of ancient texts and of studying topics that arouse your curiosity. The interview is conducted by Sarah Ruschak ’27, Clarke Forum student project manager. Read more

Dr. Carlos Vargas-Ramos, adjust associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, and director for public policy, external and media relations, and development at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, is interviewed by Student Project Manager Layla Ilarraza ‘26. Dr. Vargas-Ramos sits down to discuss the historical and contemporary politics surrounding Puerto Rico’s status as a commonwealth. He explains how status referendums on the island are unreliable measurements of public opinion. He also considers what he believes to be the future status of the island. Read more

Manu Meel, CEO of BridgeUSA, shares his thoughts on political division, how bridging differences can be achieved in communities, and the importance of the 2024 Presidential Election. He is interviewed by Student Project Manager Supasinee Siripun ‘27. Read more

Student Project Manager Ella Layton ’26 interviews Katherine Gressel, curator at the Old Stone House & Washington Park in Brooklyn, about the art exhibition Picturing the Constitution. Gressel discusses the important role of artists when interpreting the Constitution and other political documents such as the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court case. She talks about the value of working with Constitutional scholar Steven Mazie to provide expertise during the curatorial process. Gressel also shares her interest in site specific and participatory art in nontraditional spaces to make art more accessible to engage communities. Read more

In this interview with Joanne Golann, associate professor at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College and Clarke Forum student project manager Shayna Herzfeld ’25, the two discuss Dr. Golann’s recent book, Scripting the Moves: Culture and Control in No-Excuses Schools. Dr. Golann explains her research in these no-excuses schools: the effects that they have on students in and out of school and the reception of her work, including the school administration’s response and alternative teaching methods. Read more

Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology and director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, is interviewed by Student Project Manager Layla Ilarraza ’26. Dr. Seligman, the “father of positive psychology” sits down to discuss what well-being is and how it is applicable to everyday life, especially among college students, and institutions as a whole. He discusses the building blocks of well-being: PERMA, and how recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence have expanded the accessibility of positive psychology. Dr. Seligman also offers advice to listeners on how they can lead a more positive life. Read more

Student Project Manager Ella Layton ’26 interviews Dr. Matthew Guariglia about his book Police & the Empire City: Race & the Origins of Modern Policing in New York (2023). Dr. Guariglia talks specifically about the technologies and ideas that formed the New York Police Department starting in the middle of the 19th century and how those persist today. He argues that surveillance-based policing harms all Americans and provides examples on how he’s fought these invasive police practices as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Guariglia also discusses policing and the prison system more broadly on the question of reform or abolition. Read more

Student Project Manager Ella Layton ’26 interviews Dr. April Baker-Bell about her book Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy (2020). Dr. Baker-Bell discusses how she needed a framework to explain the discrimination her Black students faced because of their language. She asserts the autonomy of Black language because of its historical and social factors leading to its existence. Baker-Bell offers advice on how to practically dismantle white linguistic hegemony and uplift speakers of Black language. Read more

In this interview with author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Hagir Elsheikh and Clarke Forum student project manager Shayna Herzfeld ’24, the two discuss a wide range of issues such as political activism, domestic violence, and running a business. Elsheikh shares her empowering life story and hopes that it will inspire others to believe in themselves and live their best lives. Read more

Professor Eunji Kim, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, is interviewed by Isa Mester ’26, Clarke Forum student project manager. Professor Kim discusses her research and how she became interested in the topic of entertainment media how it affects political opinions. Prof. Kim’s perception of the American Dream, the relationship between entertainment media industry and the political system of capitalism, and the perceptions of rags to riches shows are also discussed. Actions Read more