Interdisciplinary Investigations set for fall 2019
Wed, 07/24/2019 - 10:37am | By: Kristina Schluter
Each year, The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Development sponsors a series of collaborative projects, known as Interdisciplinary Investigations, for which faculty members and students approach an issue or theme from a variety of perspectives.
Members of the university community and public are invited to attend a series of presentations and events throughout the fall 2019 semester, and a course will be offered for undergraduate students in the spring 2020 semester that is focused on each of these projects. Supported by the Southern Miss Fund for Academic Excellence and the Office of the Provost, the Interdisciplinary Investigations initiative seeks to promote dialogue among scholars and artists from different fields.
“The Interdisciplinary Investigations Series fully supports the spirit of USM’s Vision 2020 by bringing together faculty from disparate disciplines to explore common questions, themes, and ideas,” said Dr. Ann Marie Kinnell, co-director of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Development. “It will involve students and the community through presentations and workshops open to all.
“Students will also be able to work with faculty and further explore the topics covered in the series through a number of interdisciplinary courses in the spring of 2020.”
Four projects are planned for the fall 2019 semester, and they include:
*Civil Rights in Mississippi Jails. Coordinated by Douglas Bristol, School of Humanities,
and Vincenzo Mistretta, School of Communication, this series will focus on issues
of social justice and civil rights by investigating inmate conditions and reform opportunities
in Mississippi jails throughout the state. The project’s itinerary will include a
student-produced documentary as well several panels featuring civil rights leaders,
law enforcement officials, journalists, and USM faculty members from across the School
of Humanities, Kinesiology and Nutrition, Communication, and Social Science and Global
Studies.
*From Painkilling to Pain Causing: A Multidisciplinary Analysis of the Opioid Epidemic. This
series will deal with every aspect of opioid use, including historical factors impacting
the epidemic; how the drugs are sourced; pharmacological processes; the legality and
illegality of producing, marketing, and selling opioids; intervention and treatment
of addiction; and the public policy and sociology behind how society interacts with
and views drugs, drug users, and drug dealers. The series will be coordinated by Mac
Alford, School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences; Ragan Downey, School
of Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, and Security; Michael Madson, School of Psychology;
and Julie Pigza, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
*In the Footsteps of the Ancestors: Native American Travel, Trade, and Natural Resource Use in the Gulf South. This particular project will use a variety of research methods and sources to investigate Native American life and culture in the Gulf South region, from ancient to contemporary times. Faculty and students will work together to examine both ethnographic and qualitative data collection, as well as investigate different perspectives on indigenous life as portrayed by a variety of archival sources from English, Spanish, and French colonies. The series will be coordinated by Tammy Greer, School of Psychology; Joshua Haynes, School of Humanities; and Jeanne Gillespie, Social Science and Global Studies.
*Intersectional Encounters. The series will be used to explore intersectionality—interconnections among social categories like race, class, gender, sexuality, age, and disability—in order to develop a greater understanding of the personal, social, and political consequences of marginalization. Participants will investigate scenarios in which multiple modes of oppression determine one’s experiences throughout life. The series will be coordinated by Nicolle Jordan, School of Humanities; Tanya Funchess, School of Health Professions; and Whitney Martin, School of Humanities.
A schedule for presentations and events about these projects will be announced at a later date. For information about the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Development, visit https://www.usm.edu/interdisciplinary-studies-professional-development/index.php