Four MacArthur fellows to gather at UC for Genius Lives Here
Scholars explore how inequality and technology are reshaping work and public life
Event Information
What happens when four MacArthur fellows whose work spans history, technology, labor, race, gender, democracy and human rights come together around one question: How do we put people back at the center of work?
The University of Cincinnati College of Arts & Sciences will try to answer that Oct. 15 with Genius Lives Here, convening four recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship — one of the nation's highest honors recognizing exceptional creativity, accomplishment and future potential — for Rehumanizing Labor: Putting People Back at the Center of Work, an interdisciplinary conversation examining how inequality, technology and social change are reshaping work and public life.
The event will feature Shailaja Paik of the University of Cincinnati, Jennifer L. Morgan of New York University, Nicola Dell of Cornell Tech and Mary L. Gray of Indiana University. Their scholarship spans history, technology, labor, human rights, race, gender and democracy, offering multiple disciplinary lenses through which to explore one of today's most pressing challenges.
Shailaja Paik, PhD. Photo/John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Shailaja Paik is the first MacArthur “Genius” fellow from UC and Cincinnati.
“I am proud to bring together my colleagues and the community for this international symposium in Cincinnati to discuss how labor can be rehumanized amid the vulgar inequalities of caste, race, gender, and sexuality as well as rapid technological change-while reaffirming the need for inclusive and transformative futures grounded in dignity and justice,” Paik said.
Drawing on historical, anthropological and technological perspectives, the scholars will explore connections among labor, technology, democracy and human rights in the United States, South Asia and around the world. At the center of the conversation is a question with growing relevance as technology rapidly changes how and where people work: What does it mean to put people back at the center of work?
"Universities have an important role to play in creating spaces where ideas can be shared, challenged, and expanded," said James L. Mack, dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Arts & Sciences. "We're honored to host Genius Lives Here because bringing together exceptional scholars around important societal challenges reflects the kind of intellectual curiosity, collaboration, and discovery the College of Arts & Sciences exists to support."
The event is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and presented by the University of Cincinnati College of Arts & Sciences, with support from its newly formed Action Collaborative, which provides connective infrastructure for interdisciplinary work across the College.
"When people with different expertise come together around shared challenges, they begin to see new possibilities," said Will Umphres, director of the Action Collaborative. "We hope Genius Lives Here creates the kind of relationships and conversations that continue long after the event."
Genius Lives Here will take place Thursday, Oct. 15, from 5–7 p.m. in Probasco Auditorium at the University of Cincinnati. Additional event details, registration information and speaker biographies are available at https://www.artsci.uc.edu/genius-lives-here. A livestream of the event will be available.
Featured photo at top: UC Professor Shailaja Paik and three other MacArthur fellows will speak at UC on Oct. 15. Photo/MacArthur Foundation.
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