Resilience amid change highlight of Missouri State University's Public Affairs Conference

Claudette Riley, Springfield News-Leader
·3 min read
Plaster Student Union will be the home for the 20th annual Public Affairs Conference at Missouri State University.
Plaster Student Union will be the home for the 20th annual Public Affairs Conference at Missouri State University.

An international dance crew, science correspondent for NPR and an AI expert are part of Missouri State University's 20th annual Public Affairs Conference.

The conference technically starts Tuesday but nearly all events are Wednesday and Thursday at the Plaster Student Union.

There will be a mix of in-person and live-streamed sessions. All events are free and open to the public.

The theme is “Navigating the Now: tradition, innovation and wisdom in a world of change." There are three featured speakers, 18 virtual panels and a special performance from Ill-Abilities, an international crew of differently abled dancers.

“Discussion of this year’s theme started because we were interested in popular concepts, like resilience and grit, and the way they encourage us to be strong and flexible in a world of transition,” said Shannon Wooden, the MSU provost fellow for public affairs, in a news release.

“Public affairs gives us the opportunity to dig deeply into questions and showcase for our students that educated people approach difficult questions in specific and interesting ways.”

Yuki Noguchi
Yuki Noguchi

Links for all of the virtual, live-streamed events can be found at publicaffairs.missouristate.edu.

Here are the featured speakers and events:

  • 12:15-1:15 p.m. Wednesday − Diego Senior, audio and video producer and broadcast journalist, The Very Real Implications of AI Chatbots and Mental Health. Online only.

  • 7-8 p.m. Wednesday − Shay-Akil McLean, educator and organizer and writer, RACE/ISM: A Human Ecological System. In-person only at PSU Theater.

  • 12:30-1:30 p.m. Thursday − Yuki Noguchi, science desk correspondent with NPR, Navigating the Now. In-person only at PSU Theater.

  • 7-8 p.m. Thursday − ILL-Abilities International Dance Crew performance and Q&A. In-person only at PSU Theater.

A look at the 50-minute virtual panel sessions for Wednesday:

  • 10:10 a.m. − Charting a Course to Global Food Security; or Traditional Knowledges and Modern Culture: Learning from Indigenous Voices.

  • 11:15 a.m. − Cultivating Genuinely Safe Learning Spaces; or Human Expression, Empathy and the Social Experience

  • 1:25 p.m. − AI and the Balance of Originality In and Out of the Classroom; or Mapping the Historical Narratives of the American People: What is National Identity?

  • 2:30 p.m. −Moving Consumer Culture Toward Greater Environmental Sustainability; or Bridging the Gaps Between Communities and the Criminal Justice System

  • 3:35 p.m. − Making Connections Across a Multicultural World; or Walking the Line Between Technology, Creativity, and Mental Wellness

A look at the 50-minute virtual panel discussions for Thursday:

  • 9:30 a.m. − Building Safe and Brave Performance Spaces; or Emerging from the Pandemic: Realities in Education and Industry.

  • 11 a.m. − Navigating the Space from Farm to Table: Reconsidering America’s Food Culture; or Surveying the University: The Purpose of Higher Education in Divisive Times.

  • 2 p.m. − Leading Our Kids Out of the Dark: Addressing Mental Health; Ways through the Mazes of Modern Medical Ethics.

  • 3:30 p.m. − Turning Personal Passion into Professional Success; or Balancing Innovation and Security in the World of Artificial Intelligence.

Joe Montana

The keynote by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana titled "Lessons of Preparation, Teamwork and Performance Under Pressure" was rescheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: MSU Public Affairs Conference focuses on navigating innovative changes