2019 Projects, Publications, and Meetings of the Academy

Exploratory Initiatives

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The Exploratory Fund was established in 2015 to support members who wish to work together, and with other scholars, experts, and practitioners, to look for issues and opportunities not well understood, to think of problems in a fresh way, and to search for connections between research and policy that advance the common good.

Through the Exploratory Fund, the Academy is committed to encouraging forward-thinking collaborations that incorporate diverse perspectives and bring together creative thinkers and leaders representing a range of disciplines, career stages, backgrounds, and experiences.

Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and awarded funds to cover the costs associated with an exploratory meeting.

The Exploratory Fund is made possible through the generous support of the Arnhold Foundation, John F. Cogan, Jr., Michael E. Gellert, Bob and Kristine Higgins, Carl and Betty Pforzheimer, William Poorvu, and Kenneth L. and Susan S. Wallach.

 

Recent Exploratory Meetings

 

The Future of the Ph.D.

November 15–16, 2018
House of the Academy
Cambridge, MA

This gathering of nearly thirty leaders from nonprofit organizations and academia focused on trends in career outcomes for doctoral students across disciplines. The participants discussed changes to doctoral training and student mentorship in order to improve and diversify career outcomes for recipients of doctoral degrees.

CHAIRS

Nancy C. Andrews
Duke University School of Medicine


David Nirenberg
University of Chicago



FEATURED SPEAKERS

Carlos J. Alonso
Columbia University


Ed Balleisen
Duke University


Thomas Bender
New York University


Mary Sue Coleman
Association of American Universities


Robin Garrell
University of California, Los Angeles


Kelly Gebo
Johns Hopkins University


Dianne Harris
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation


Nimmi Kannankutty
National Science Foundation


David Lee
Princeton University


Terry Magnuson
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


Anthony Monaco
Tufts University


Thomas Pollard
Yale University


Cybele Raver
New York University


Robert B. Townsend
American Academy of Arts and Sciences


Ian Waitz
Massachusetts Institute of Technology


Keith Yamamoto
University of California, San Francisco

 

Rethinking the Humanitarian Health Response to Violent Conflict

February 19, 2019
House of the Academy
Cambridge, MA

Participants at this exploratory meeting provided advice on the direction and shape of a larger Academy project on humanitarian interventions in conflict zones.

CHAIRS

Jaime Sepulveda
University of California, San Francisco


Jennifer Welsh
McGill University


Paul Wise
Stanford University



FEATURED SPEAKERS

Michael Barnett
George Washington University


Anne Patterson
Yale University; formerly, U.S. Department of State


Ron Waldman
George Washington University

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Tanisha Fazal (University of Minnesota), Chief Judge Diane Wood (United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit), Elisabeth Wood (Yale University), and Jocelyn Kelly (Harvard University) participate in a plenary session about Rethinking the Humanitarian Health Response to Violent Conflict.

 

National Memory in a Time of Populism

May 23–25, 2019
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO

As a follow-up to a December 2017 planning meeting convened at the Academy, this exploratory meeting brought together scholars from across the globe to discuss national narratives, historiography, and shared identity in the current context of rising populism.

CHAIRS

Henry L. Roediger, III
Washington University in St. Louis


James V. Wertsch
Washington University in St. Louis



FEATURED SPEAKERS

Madgalena Abel
University of Regensburg, Germany


Krystian Barzykowski
Jagiellonian University, Poland


Nutsa Batiashvili
Free University of Tblisi, Georgia


David Blight
Yale University


Pascal Boyer
Washington University in St. Louis


Andrew C. Butler
Washington University in St. Louis


Alin Coman
Princeton University


Amy Corning
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan


David Cunningham
Washington University in St. Louis


Yadin Dudai
Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel; New York University


Rauf Garagozov
Uppsala University, Sweden


Carol Gluck
Columbia University


James Liu
Massey University, New Zealand


Zhao Ma
Washington University in St. Louis


Elizabeth Marsh
Duke University


Jeffrey Olick
University of Virginia


Suparna Rajaram
Stony Brook University


Henry L. Roediger, III
Washington University in St. Louis


Christina Simko
Williams College


Sharda Umanath
Claremont McKenna College


Abram Van Engen
Washington University in St. Louis


James V. Wertsch
Washington University in St. Louis


Jeremy Yamashiro
Washington University in St. Louis

 

Rethinking the Humanitarian Health Response to Violent Conflict

June 10–11, 2019
Chatham House
London, United Kingdom

Held in collaboration with the Centre for Global Health Security at Chatham House and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the meeting brought together scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers from the global health, humanitarian, and security sectors to explore how future work by the three hosting organizations could help define new strategies for the provision of essential health services in areas of violent conflict.

CHAIRS

Jaime Sepulveda
University of California, San Francisco


Jennifer Welsh
McGill University


Paul Wise
Stanford University

 

The Future of the Administrative State

June 12, 2019
House of the Academy
Cambridge, MA

This exploratory meeting brought together scholars from law, political science, public administration, history, and organizational design to discuss the history, current challenges, and potential futures of regulatory agencies.

CHAIR

Mark Tushnet
Harvard University



FEATURED SPEAKERS

Susan Dudley
George Washington University


Gillian Metzger
Columbia Law School


Aaron Neilson
Brigham Young University Law School


Charles Sabel
Columbia Law School


Peter Strauss
Columbia Law School


Phil Wallach
R Street Institute

 

Water in Our Future

June 19–20, 2019
Battery Wharf Hotel
Boston, MA

This exploratory meeting convened a range of scholars, policy-makers, and representatives from ngos and international organizations to examine the socioecological and political aspects of water management and governance. Supported jointly by the Academy’s Science, Engineering, and Technology and Global Security and International Affairs program areas, the exploratory meeting facilitated discussions on major issues around water availability and safety in urban and agricultural areas, as well as large dams, environmental impact assessments, and transboundary water governance.

CHAIRS

Allen F. Isaacman
University of Minnesota; University of the Western Cape


Geraldine L. Richmond
University of Oregon



FEATURED SPEAKERS

Rita R. Colwell
University of Maryland


Jennifer Derr
University of California, Santa Cruz


Christopher Field
Stanford University


Annette Huber-Lee
Stockholm Environment Institute


Antarpreet Jutla
West Virginia University


Jacqueline M. King
University of the Western Cape


David W. Oxtoby
American Academy of Arts and Sciences


Kurt Soderlund
Safe Water Network

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Geraldine L. Richmond (University of Oregon)