Faculty Chosen as Edge of Chaos Scholars

What do Dr. William Cockerham (Sociology professor and chair), Dr. Nichole Lariscy (assistant professor of English), Rosie O'Beirne (director of Digital Media and Innovative Learning), Dr. Andrew Keitt (associate professor of History and Graduate Program director), and Dr. Gregory Pence (Philosophy professor and chair) have in common?

Rosie O'BierneAnd what do they have in common with 21 other UAB faculty and staff members, including physicians, deans, executives, and consultants?

The answer is that they’ve all been chosen as Edge of Chaos Scholars. In their new role, they will be making presentations throughout the coming academic year on the problems our society has struggled to solve.

Edge of Chaos, housed within Lister Hill Library, is a one-of-a-kind “collision” space designed to bring disparate people together to share ideas, work collaboratively, and find solutions.

Gregory Pence“This space is designed to capture intellectual capacity, innovation and creativity within the university and do good things with it,” says director David Hooks.

The new Scholars program will highlight campus leaders chosen for their accomplishments, academic standing and creative ways of reaching their professional goals. They will present on a range of topics, focusing on innovation and interdisciplinary thinking.

Like the other selected scholars, Dr. Greg Pence agreed to make his presentation sometime in the next two years and is considering possible subjects. “I may do an overview of bioethics over the last 50 years, emphasizing how the field has grown from a toddler to a real adult,” he says.

To learn more, visit theedgeofchaos.org.