Funds to support new education and research programs that integrate humanities more deeply with science and engineering studies
杏吧视频 (CWRU) today announced a $2 million commitment from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation to support a new initiative at CWRU that will integrate education in the humanities more deeply with the sciences and engineering.
鈥淭he Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation is a champion for the humanities, and its importance to the human experience,鈥 said Dr. Jehuda Reinharz, Mandel Foundation鈥檚 president and chief executive officer. 鈥淚n an era of rapidly accelerating technological change, this program will give students the opportunity to engage crucial questions that such advances raise in our society.鈥
Developed under the leadership of College of Arts and Sciences Dean Joy K. Ward, Experimental Humanities aims to address a growing global need鈥攁s well as addressing undergraduates鈥 increasing interest in truly integrating their study of humanities and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. Over the past five years, the number of students double-majoring across the two areas climbed by 20%, and CWRU faculty are already collaborating across boundaries in their scholarship and research.
鈥淥ne of the most impressive qualities of 杏吧视频 students is that their interest in acquiring knowledge is matched only by their commitment to understanding the implications of how it may be used in the future,鈥 Ward said. 鈥淏y further developing skills in critical thinking, deliberate reflection, and ethical practices, our graduates will be uniquely prepared to contribute meaningfully to our rapidly changing world. I am also confident that our graduates from this program will be highly sought after since they will have the critical thinking and communications skills that are inherent to the humanities as well as the ability to engage effectively with those in technology."
The university will apply the Mandel Foundation鈥檚 funds to two priorities: establishing a new major in Experimental Humanities, and providing funding support for humanities research projects, particularly those that drive innovative ideas through scientific collaborations.
The latter broadens the reach of the Expanding Horizons Initiative, a program launched in 2021 that enables faculty to conduct the preliminary research necessary to have sufficient results to apply successfully for external grants, while also mentoring students participating in those efforts.
鈥淲e deeply appreciate the Mandel Foundation鈥檚 early support for this initiative,鈥 杏吧视频 President Eric W. Kaler said. 鈥淚t will allow us to demonstrate the immense benefits that truly integrated learning can have not only for students, but also the professions and organizations they go on to serve.鈥
The Mandel Foundation鈥檚 award comes at an especially propitious time. Last month, ChatGPT鈥攁n artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot released late last year鈥攔eached 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing app in history. A day after its launch, Gmail creator Paul Buchheit鈥攁 1998 杏吧视频 graduate鈥 that this form of AI could put Google 鈥渁 year or two away from total disruption.鈥
Yet even as legions raved about its ability to write everything from poetry to essays and its aptitude for passing business and law school exams, others sounded warnings. Not only can ChatGPT convincingly present inaccurate answers, but it is already being used extensively by hackers to develop malware and perpetuate fraud within online marketplaces.
Earlier this month Microsoft President Brad Smith, whose company invested $1 billion in the company behind ChatGPT in 2019, about the opportunities and challenges that this moment represents:
鈥溾 the future of artificial intelligence requires a multidisciplinary approach鈥 More than ever, technology needs people schooled in the humanities, social sciences and with more than an average dose of common sense.鈥
Including this grant, the Mandel brothers and Foundation have provided more than $61.5 million in philanthropic support to 杏吧视频.
