In the first episode of season six, host D.J. Hopkins sits down with Dr. Joanna Brooks to ask her: “What’s a university for…?” Along with co-host Pam Lach, they explore the role of universities in periods of crisis and political upheaval. Brooks talks about her concept of “emergent humanities,” a generative, solution-based approach that encourages faculty to actively address contemporary challenges. The conversation feels particularly urgent in the current political climate, as universities face unprecedented attacks.

BIOS
Guest
Dr. Joanna Brooks is an award-winning author and editor of ten books on race, religion, gender, social movements, and American culture. She has appeared in global media outlets including the BBC, NPR, The Daily Show, CNN, MSNBC, and The Washington Post. In her role as Associate Vice President for Faculty Advancement and Student Success at San Diego State University, she leads faculty development and student academic support efforts. She holds a PhD in English from the University of California, Los Angeles. Brooks blogs about faculty research and higher education at Emergent Humanities https://emergenthumanities.substack.com/

Hosts
Dr. D.J. Hopkins (he/him) is a professor at San Diego State University where he serves as a Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Director of the Center for the Study of Media and Performance. His current research includes Shakespeare, immersive theatre, virtual reality, and AI literacy. His latest monograph is available from Cambridge: https://go.shr.lc/4gKxC0w

Dr. Pamella Lach (she/her) is the Digital Humanities Librarian at San Diego State University and Director of the SDSU Library’s Digital Humanities Center, a values-oriented space designed to blur and disrupt disciplinary boundaries.She is co-director of SDSU’s Digital Humanities Initiative. https://library.sdsu.edu/dh and https://dh.sdsu.edu/

FFL 6.1: Joanna Brooks on the value of universities in complex and uncertain times

Faculty Futures Lab is a faculty-led podcast that considers the challenges facing institutions of higher education in complex and uncertain times. All guests speak from their own expertise and experience. Produced by the San Diego State University Center for Teaching and Learning.

New tracks tagged ##HigherEd #Humanities #Democracy