Chelsea Schelly, Michigan Tech Associate Professor of Sociology, will present the Spring 2023 Michigan Tech Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in MUB Ballroom A, with a social starting at 3:45 p.m. and the lecture to follow.
The title of Schelly’s lecture is,”Confronting Complexity while Keeping our Heads and our Hearts (And Keeping Communities Centered in Collaborative Science)”
Talk description: As a sociologist who studies the relationship among social systems, infrastructural systems, and ecological systems, Dr. Schelly sees complexity everywhere. In this talk, Dr. Schelly will highlight some current projects and the complex intersections among social, ecological, and infrastructural systems being studied, highlighting how these intersections ultimately impact real conditions of well-being for individuals and communities. The increasing threats to human well-being associated with surpassing planetary limits, the locked-in nature of infrastructures and the socio-economic systems that maintain them, and the pace and uncertainty associated with social change are all daunting complexities. To address these complexities as a researcher without being overwhelmed by the challenges, Dr. Schelly advocates for collaborative, community-engaged research processes that provide opportunities to celebrate diverse experiences and forms of expertise while staying focused on the potential impact of research in terms of enhanced community empowerment and well-being. This talk highlights collaboration and community engagement as opportunities for researchers to address daunting complexities without losing our heads or our hearts in the process.
The Distinguished Lecture Series honors faculty for their research impact. Launched in fall 2016, Distinguished Lecture speakers are chosen from nominations submitted by MTU faculty and administration and are selected for their ability to increase the knowledge of our community by connecting their research with societal and community concerns. Topics are broad, spanning all colleges and schools at Michigan Tech.