Doctoral Colloquium
The doctoral colloquium is a student-run colloquium that enables graduate students to try out grant proposals, present dissertation chapters, give practice job talks, discuss issues of professional development and hear visiting speakers. The colloquium meet on Mondays 4:30-6:00pm.The 2024-25 Colloquium Coordinator is Jorge Ochoa
Students who would like to be added to the colloquium mailing list should contact Janet Hundrieser, the Science in Human Culture Program Administrator.
Fall
September 30
Welcome and introductions, colloquia planning for the year ahead
During our first doctoral colloquium meeting we will brainstorm ideas and start planning what we will do at this year’s colloquium meetings. In the past, we have discussed readings, workshopped papers, held panels on topics in science and human culture, and more, but it will be up to us to decide what’s in store for this year.
October 21
Chahim Discussion
Professor Chahim is scheduled to deliver a Klopsteg Lecture on Monday, October 28 titled, “Engineering Control: Inscription, Erasure, and the Politics of Knowledge in Mexico City’s Sewer System.” The idea is that we can get to know his work a bit before his visit. His research bridges ethnographic and archival methods and traverses various subfields, from environmental history to the study of urban infrastructure; so I think engaging with his work together will ground rich interdisciplinary discussion.
November 4
NSF Grants Discussion with Professor Rayvon Fouché
On Monday, November 4 from 4:30-6:00pm we will gather to discuss grants, with a focus on National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. NU Professor Rayvon Fouché will join us and share his wisdom on grants and the application process. Professor Fouché has a great depth of knowledge on the topic given his former role as Division Director of Social and Economic Sciences within the NSF’s Directorate of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Mark your calendars to come learn about grants, including how they might support your future academic work.
Spring
April 14
In advance of Professor Taylor Moore’s 4/21 Klopsteg Lecture, “Living Fossils: Anatomies of Race and Reproduction in Egypt,” we will gather to discuss some of Moore’s award-winning work which is situated at the intersection of the history of science, race, and gender in the modern Middle East. Reading materials will be circulated the week before.
April 28
Whether overhauls of federal science agencies, threats to government-funded university research, or the elevation of tech mogul Elon Musk to the highest levels of political power—contemporary U.S. politics are rapidly transforming the landscape of science and technology. Ongoing transformations are coupled with attacks on long-held ideals like diversity, equity, and inclusion, including attacks on equity-oriented research; intensified threats to immigrants, international students, and transgender people which directly impact our intellectual communities; and instances of censorship and political impingement upon scientific and academic inquiry. In this meeting, we will address questions like: How can STS help us make sense of this political moment and its stakes? How might we as early-career scholars or STS as an interdisciplinary field respond? What historical precedents are useful to bear in mind? And what is on the horizon? Please feel free to send any suggested topics, questions, or readings that might anchor our discussion.