“Understanding Ukraine” Interdisciplinary Panel a Success!

On Monday, April 25, the L&S Honors Program co-sponsored an interdisciplinary panel titled, Understanding Ukraine. The event brought together eight faculty experts from various fields on the UW campus, with the aim of enlightening primarily first- and second-year undergraduates about the Russian invasion and its application to the lives of the students.

The event began at 6:00 PM and was held in the Main Lounge of Chadbourne Residence Hall. The relaxed setting set the stage for an exceptionally approachable and engaging experience for undergraduate students and over 70 signed in throughout the night. The event was moderated by three current L&S Honors students, Rachel Rosen (History, Political Science, Arabic, and Honors in the Liberal Arts [HLA]), Paige Bester (Political Science. Criminal Justice, and HLA), and Chandra Chouhan (Global Health, International Studies, and HLA).

The three moderators led the panelists through opening remarks on key takeaways each panelist felt undergraduate students should know about the conflict, followed by a robust question and answer component. The panelists were captivating, both in their responses to questions and through the way in which they interacted and conversed with each other.

Sincere thanks to the Bill Cronon Fund for Pathways to Excellence for sponsoring this event. We also share many thanks to the planning committee members, the faculty panelists, and the student moderators who offered their time and expertise to make this event possible.

 

Panelists

    • Mark Copelovitch (Political Science and the La Follette School of Public Affairs) 
    • Lukasz Wodzynski (German, Nordic, and Slavic) 
    • Michael Wagner (School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Political Science, and the La Follette School of Public Affairs) 
    • Dave Schroeder (Computer, Data & Information Sciences and the Wisconsin Security Research Consortium) 
    • Paul Wilson (Engineering Physics) 
    • Kathryn Hendley (Political Science & the Law School) 
    • B. Venkat Mani (German and the Institute for Research in the Humanities) 
    • Jon Pevehouse (Political Science and the La Follette School of Public Affairs) 

Student Moderators

    • Rachel Rosen
    • Paige Bester
    • Chandra Chouhan

Event Planning

    • Pete Keys, L&S Honors Program
    • Sari Judge, Program Coordinator CRC and StartUp

Event Funding

    • Bill Cronon Fund for Pathways to Excellence