“Wonder is the foundation of all philosophy, inquiry its progress, ignorance its end.” — Michel de Montaigne (1587) Near the beginning of her book, The Edge of the Sea, Marine biologist Rachel Carson describes “one place that stands apart for its revelation of exquisite beauty.” It is, she continues, “a pool hidden within a cave…
I’m going to share some discomfort with you. Reading a 1960s-era essay by African-American author James Baldwin, I found myself directly and uncomfortably addressed: White man, hear me! Uh-oh. He had just finished criticizing Whites for pretending not to see the racial history of the United States, so his direct address elevated my pulse. But…
Yesterday I learned of the passing of Liam Bannon. Liam was a titan in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI). His work helped to redirect and reorient HCI research in profound and lasting ways. He was an extraordinary intellectual, a deep and open thinker who was able not just to articulate field-changing ideas, but also…
Note: The opinions expressed here are my own individual opinions and do not represent those of anyone else, including the school or university where I work. This spring, I took a new position as Dean of the School of Information and Library Science at University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. I started April 1, with all…
Shepherdess O Eiffel Tower this morning the bridges are bleating — Guillaume Apollinaire, “Zone,” translated by Donald Revell 1. What Everyone Has Read Here’s poetry this morning and for prose you’re reading the tabloids Disposable paperbacks filled with crimes and police Biographies of great men a thousand various titles (ibid) To belong to, and to be able…
Read more What Shall We Read? On the Science and Poetry of Deep Reading
And I have felt A presence that disturbs me with the joy …
From The Chronicle of Higher Education to The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The New York times and everywhere I turn it seems, everyone seems to be talking–and worrying–about generative AI, such as ChatGPT, and its impacts on higher education. While academics and journalists debate about whether generative AI is good or bad, threatening to higher…
Read more Who’s Going to Figure Out AI’s Place in Higher Education? All of Us
Recently, a colleague of mine from industry expressed some of the challenges she faced when reaching out to a university seeking collaboration, a proposed collaboration that she was able to fund. In spite of doing her homework and offering funding, her efforts generated little interest. Meanwhile, I have been struggling for years to improve the…
1. Earlier this summer I started reading Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Recently, I have found solace and space for growth by immersing myself in nature and in fine writing; Walden combines both at the highest levels. One of the most quoted passages of Walden explains why the book resonates with me now, as it has…
In the last year or two, as a researcher, academic administrator, and teacher, I have been confronted almost daily with issues connected to generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT). As it connects to language and our hopes and fears for the future, this topic has reactivated intellectual interests of mine that date back to my graduate school…
Read more Generative AI, Knowledge Practices, and Higher Education
Interaction Culture 