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In a single minute, leading ASU experts share their wisdom on major topics that influence our world.

“What we attend to – what we click on, what we browse, what we daydream – shapes our experience, colors our perceptions...."

Jim O’Donnell is the University Librarian of Arizona State University and a professor in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies. Previously, O’Donnell served as provost and professor of classics at Georgetown University for a decade, after a career at Bryn Mawr College, Cornell University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Pardis Mahdavi on Belonging

"Our collective American future must be a welcoming, inclusive place where belonging can be a reality for everyone."

Pardis Mahdavi is a professor and director of ASU's School of Social Transformation. Previously, she was acting dean at the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies and, before that, a professor and chair of anthropology at Pomona College. Mahdavi earned her bachelor's degree in diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College and her master's, M.Phil and PhD at Columbia University.

Emily Zarka on Monsters

"Want to understand human history? Just take a look at its monsters."

Emily Zarka is a faculty associate who holds a Ph.D. in British Romantic Literature with an emphasis on the Gothic. Zarka has taught literature, film and media, and writing classes at ASU. She also writes and hosts a show called Monstrum for PBS Digital Studios.

Athena Aktipis on Cooperation

"Each of us is a massive collection of cells that cooperate in mind-blowing ways."

Athena Aktipis is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at ASU and co-director of the Human Generosity Project, the first large-scale transdisciplinary project to investigate the interrelationship between biological and cultural influences on human generosity. Professor Aktipis also works on cooperation and conflict in biological systems including cancer evolution and the human microbiome.

Ed Finn on Imagination

"Imagination is a collective project. We dream together. We change the world together."

Ed Finn is the founding director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at ASU, where he is an associate professor, with a joint appointment in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering and the Department of English. A graduate of Princeton University and Stanford University (M.A. and PhD in English), Finn also serves as the academic director of Future Tense, a partnership with Slate Magazine.

Leah Gerber on Endangered Species

"Can all biodiversity be saved? And, if not, how do we decide which species to save?"

Leah Gerber is founding director of ASU's Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and a professor of ecology, evolution and environmental sciences within the School of Life Sciences. Trained as a population ecologist and a marine conservation biologist, Gerber earned both her master's degree and doctorate at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Ken Shropshire on Sport

"Let's love sport. But let's not lose sight of sport's role in addressing what ails us."

Ken Shropshire is the Adidas Distinguished Professor of Global Sport and founding CEO of the Global Sport Institute at ASU. He previously was director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative and for more than 30 years the David W. Hauck Professor at the University of Pennyslvania's Wharton School in the department of legal studies and business ethics. Shropshire earned his B.A. at Stanford and his J.D. at Columbia.

Andrew Maynard on Fear

"Rather than being ruled by fear, we can learn to better balance it with our reason."

Andrew Maynard is the director of ASU's Risk Innovation Lab, professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, and author of the forthcoming book Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies. He holds a PhD in physics from the University of Cambridge.

George Justice on Mortality

"True awareness of mortality, when it comes, is a permanent revolution...."

George Justice is a professor of English and a specialist in 18th-century British literature. A former ASU dean of humanities, Justice taught at the University of Pennsylvania (where he earned his master's and Ph.D.), Marquette University, Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri.

Keith Brown on Violence

"Violence begets violence...We need to understand the chain of violence in order to break out of it."

Keith Brown is a professor in ASU's School of Politics and Global Studies. He is also director of The Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian & Eastern European Studies. Earning his bachelor's in classics from the University of Oxford and his master's and doctorate in anthropology from the University of Chicago, Brown taught at Bowdoin College, the University of Wales and Brown University before coming to ASU in 2017.

Swapna Reddy on Inequity

"Inequity is about the lack of fairness. It's about the lack of justice."

Swapna Reddy is a Clinical Assistant Professor at ASU's College of Health Solutions. Her primary research focuses on how law and policy can be utilized to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities and inequities. Reddy holds a law degree from the University of Houston and a master's degree in public health from Boston University.

Paul Carrese on Civility

"Rising above demonization and anger? That's not for wimps. It takes moral courage and smarts."

Paul Carrese is the founding Director of ASU's School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. For nearly two decades, he was a professor of political science at the United States Air Force Academy. His most recent book is Democracy in Moderation: Montesquieu, Tocqueville, and Sustainable Liberalism.

Garth Paine on Listening

"Usually, we don't think about how we listen. But when we do, the world becomes remarkably richer."

Garth Paine is an Associate Professor in Interactive Sound and Digital Media in the Herberger Institute's School of Arts, Media and Engineering and a Professor of Composition in the School of Music. He is also a Senior Sustainability Scientist with ASU's Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability.

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