Research & Creative Excellence
College of Liberal Arts faculty are driven to follow their passion for creating new knowledge and in the process bring depth and meaning to the lives of countless others. This video will inspire you to look at the world in a different way and appreciate solutions for today’s challenges through disciplines as diverse as dance to statistics.

The Beauty of the Numbers: An Interview with Sara Algeri
Can the invisible be made visible through the “magic” of statistical tools? Statistics assistant professor Sara Algeri is applying the principles of astrostatistics to help physicists “see” dark matter. Watch the interview with Sara Algeri

Dancing Toward Justice: An Interview with Ananya Chatterjea
Ananya Chatterjea dedicates her work to liberation and justice. Through her dance and research, she strives to encourage new ways of thinking and new ways of seeing the world. Watch the interview with Ananya Chatterjea

The Jingle Dress, a Modern Tradition: An Interview with Brenda Child
Many Ojibwe people believe in the healing power of music and dance. American studies and American Indian studies professor Brenda Child reveals how an influenza epidemic in the 1920s gave rise to the jingle dress dance and traditions. Watch the interview with Brenda Child

Beyond “Yes” or “No”: Consent As Power, An Interview with Kate Lockwood Harris
All of us, whether we are aware of it or not, know someone who has experienced sexual assault. Assistant Professor Kate Lockwood Harris raising the conversation about sexual assault and helping institutions understand it’s not as simple as understanding what “yes” and “no” mean. Watch the interview with Kate Lockwood Harris

The Edge of Impossibility: An Interview with Eric Shook
Eric Shook takes an untraditional approach to geography and explores the world through geospatial computing. His work is leading to better ways of using cropland here in Minnesota and a deeper understanding of how we interact with each other. Watch the video interview with Eric Shook

The Recipe for Happiness: An Interview with Valerie Tiberius
Valerie Tiberius has published extensively on well-being and how we value it. She believes everyone has a personal recipe for well-being and recognizing that can help you live a fulfilling life. She discusses her ideas, their influence on her teaching, and how they have been useful to psychologists and psychiatrists. Watch the interview with Valerie Tiberius

How to Prevent a Political Coup: An Interview with Josef Woldense
Josef Woldense has been able to construct a picture of the administration of 20th-century Ethiopian ruler Haile Selassie to provide a close analysis of ways autocrats keep their power. He has developed a game to help his students understand how precarious the role of an autocrat can be. Watch the interview with Josef Woldense