ISD Convergence (Spring 2023)

CONVERGENCE

A newsletter for students, graduates, and friends of DePaul's ISD program

MALS/ISD

Contact Information

Mail: 2327 N Racine Ave, Office 202 Chicago, IL 60614

Phone: (773) 325-7840

Fax: (773) 325-8306

Websites: las.depaul.edu/mals las.depaul.edu/ids

Contact Information

Director:

Dr. Lisa Poirier (773) 325-7978 lpoirier@depaul.edu

Student Assistant: Subhulakshimi

Mehalingam smehalin@depaul.edu

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Write to us and be featured in the next edition of Convergence!

Contact smehalin@depaul.edu for more info!

Interview with the Director

What initially drew you to the field of interdisciplinary studies, and how did you become involved with the program at DePaul? Religious Studies, my field of scholarly training and expertise, is inherently interdisciplinary, so one could say that I have been an interdisciplinary scholar from the

beginning. For example, in my own work, I draw upon scholarly work and use methodologies from indigenous studies, anthropology, history, women s and gender studies, ritual studies, material culture studies, and colonial studies as well as religious studies. When Dr. David Gitomer, the former director of ISD, was about to retire, he asked me if I would consider taking over the ISD directorship, and I was both honored and delighted to seize the opportunity to work with the amazing, creative, and diverse ISD students we have in this program

How does the ISD program collaborate with other departments, schools, or organizations at DePaul and b eyond, and how does this collaboration enhance the educational experience for students?

The most innovative and remarkable thing about the ISD program is that it enables our graduate students to take courses in almost every college at DePaul except the Law School. Our current ISD students are taking classes not just in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, but also in the College of Communication, the College of Education, the College of Computing and Digital Media, the College of Science and Health, and the Driehaus College of usiness. This means that ISD students have great breadth of experience and education, and it also means that they can tailor their coursework to meet their unique individual goals and needs

How has the Interdisciplinary Studies program evolved over time, and what are some of the most significant changes or developments that have taken place during your tenure as director?

We do have several exciting changes in the works right now! We are currently collaborating with the Department of Modern Languages to ensure that ISD can begin to admit students who wish to take graduate-level language classes as well as earn a graduate certificate in Translation and Interpreting Studies. We re also looking into affiliating ISD with a new association for interdisciplinary graduate programs; hopefully one that better reflects our objectives, suits our flexible format, and serves our students. More news to come on that topic soon!

Interview with the Director

In your opinion, what are some of the key benefits of an interdiscip inary approach to education, and how can students best take advantage of these benefits?

I think the f t re is interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary beca se o r orld is increasingly complex O r grad ate st dents req ire more and more flexibility as they ork to enhance their career prospects or to prepare themsel es for their next set of ed cational goals No one discipline, no one method is s fficient for o r st dents, and it is the aim of ISD to be there for these creati e and dri en st dents St dents in ISD can best take ad antage of these interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary opport nities by becoming skilf l comm nicators ho can ad ocate for themsel es in con ersations ith professors and experts in all of their areas of interest These skills ha e immediate applicability in e ery career path

What advice wou d you give to students who are interested in pursuing interdiscip inary studies, and how can they make the most of their experience in the program?

My most important ad ice to prospecti e ISD st dents o ld be, “Bl e-sky it!” What that means to me is to dream big first Then, think abo t yo r goals, think abo t hat yo ill need to get there, and then meet ith me to find o t hat the ISD program can pro ide for yo r niq e trajectory

My best ad ice for c rrent ISD st dents is to keep those lines of comm nication open! Talk to yo r professors, talk to yo r ad isor (me!), establish relationships that can help yo contin e to imagine and to b ild yo r f t re

What are some of the unique cha enges and opportunities that arise when working across different discip ines, and how can we best prepare students to navigate these?

E ery discipline has its o n history, theories, methods, and “lang age ” Interdisciplinarity challenges s to master more than one disciplinary “lang age” and to find commonalities and differences in theories and methods All of these challenges are sim ltaneo sly the strengths of interdisciplinarity! St dents need only to be open to looking at phenomena from different perspecti es

Dr. Lisa Poirier Program Director (ISD)

Student Assistant: Subhulakshimi Mehalingam

In October 2022, S bh lakshimi Mehalingam joined the ISD family as the ne St dent Assistant S bh lakshimi is a first-year grad ate st dent in the H man-Comp ter Interaction program at DePa l CDM S bh lakshimi completed her bachelors in Architect re and is an international st dent from India

Coming from an interdisciplinary backgro nd herself, S bh lakshimi is thrilled to be a part of the ISD family and excited abo t the f t re of the program She is passionate abo t prod ct and is al design, and creates ill strations d ring her free time

Yo can get in to ch ith her ia email at smehalin@depa l ed

Please introduce yourself to the students, and friends of the ISD program!

Hello! My name is Lexie Gold. I am about halfway through the ISD program and thus far I have taken classes in Philosophy, Critical Ethnic Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Literature, and Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse.

Can you speak to some of the opportunities for research, internships, or other experiential learning within the ISD program, and how these have enriched your education?

Can you share an example of how the ISD program has helped you to explore your passions and interests, and how this has influenced your academic or career goals?

One example of how the ISD program has helped me explore my passions and interests is through the wide range of classes and having the agency to choose which one makes most sense for me. There is a constant molding and reshaping that occurs as we approach each quarter, and I need to ask myself important questions about what I have learned and what I want to learn next in order to achieve my goals. This kind of critical self reflection has been very helpful, and I believe I will use it throughout my career.

As part of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, the ISD program is often open to many of the various research internships or fellowships available. Within my first year I was able to attend a conference and present my work. Being at the conference I met incredible people and was exposed to scholarship from all over the world.

What skills or knowledge have you gained through the ISD program that you believe will be valuable in your future career or personal pursuits?

Not being in just one department at first, I felt that I was floating, but over time I have gained the tools to advocate for myself and reach out more.

What are some of the benefits of studying in an interdisciplinary program, and how does this approach differ from more traditional academic programs?

One benefit is having the opportunity to take any number of classes. There are so many options and possibilities. This approach is difference since it pushes you to become more malleable in your approach.

What drew you to the ISD program at DePaul, and interdisciplinary studies in particular?

I was excited to learn about the ISD program at DePaul University since it provided me with the opportunity to learn through multiple lenses. I don't believe our lives can be understood through one discipline since we all live interdisciplinary lives. I wanted my studies and my career to be grounded by this understanding.

What do you believe sets the ISD program at DePaul apart from other interdisciplinary programs, and what do you see as its greatest strengths?

The ISD program at DePaul University has given me a sense of freedom in my education that I didn't feel before, this not only sets it apart from other interdisciplinary programs I have seen but it is also its greatest strength.

What advice would you give to incoming students who are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary approach to their education, and how can they make the most of their time in the program?

Can you describe a favorite course or project that you have completed in the ISD program, and how has it helped you to explore new ideas and perspectives?

I don't think I can just name one course as my favorite. And that said, the project that I have found to be the most exiting at helpful in exploring new perspectives is my thesis. Every course I have taken has been able to give me one other piece of the puzzle, and to see the ways different disciplines can enrich one another and help me produce work I am passionate about has been the best experience so far.

My advice would be to advocate for themselves in every aspect of their education. The beauty of moving as an interdisciplinary scholar is that the path is yours to create. This can be lonely sometimes and thrilling other times. But what I would stress in order for them to make the most of their time is to create a good support system. This is necessary and part of that comes from knowing how to take care of oneself.

Finally, what are your future aspirations, and how do you see the skills and knowledge you have gained through the ISD program contributing to your success? In the future I hope to earn my doctorate and teach full time. The faculty I have come into contact with have all provided me with different tools to become a better writer, presenter, communicator, and most importantly student.

Student Spotlight:

Sheldon White

What advice would you give to incoming students who are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary approach to their education, and how can they make the most of their time in the program?

Plan ahead; reach out to department heads/ chairs and ask for the graduate course schedule for the upcoming academic year. This way, you are able to accurately plan your schedule, rather than being caught off guard when the class you wanted to take is not being offered in the time span in which you plan to be studying. If you are hoping to bolster your credentials by obtaining the ISD Master's, I think it is a good idea to take courses that can be practically applied to your already established work history. If you are hoping to use it as a transition from a Bachelor's program to a possible Ph.D program, be sure that the classes you take are applicable and relevant to the kinds of Ph.D programs you might be interested in.

Please introduce yourself to the students, and friends of the ISD program!

Hello students and friends of the ISD program! My name is Sheldon White. I am an adult scholar whose research interests are primarily in philosophical psychology, which I approach from the philosophical tradition of phenomenology and experimental cognitive science. In my free time, I read a lot of high-fantasy novels such as Robert Jordan's, "The Wheel of Time" or Brandon Sanderson's "The Stormlight Archives". I also spend quite a bit of time in the gym, going to music shows/concerts, and I enjoy tinkering with various computer-related projects!

What skills or knowledge have you gained through the ISD program that you believe will be valuable in your future career or personal pursuits?

Can you share an example of how the ISD program has helped you to explore your passions and interests, and how this has influenced your academic or career goals?

At the end of my undergraduate career, I was wholly convinced that I wanted to study and teach academic philosophy. Over the course of my first year in the ISD program, I realized that my passions are not limited to one department, one field, or one profession. I know now that, by bringing the skills learned in one discipline to another (and vice versa), I am able to develop new knowledges and conduct research from a novel standpoint that will be beneficial in and outside of the classroom. I whole-heartedly believe that by investigating ourselves in an authentic and intimate way, we are simultaneously making progress towards the solutions that our worlds, and our shared planet, desperately need.

Most practically, I have been able to apply the critical thinking skills obtained through my study of philosophy to other areas of interest. It is not the skills themselves, which I came into the program with, but the application of those skills that I have been developing through the ISD program, and this will provide a firm foundation for my academic, career, and personal goals moving forward.

What drew you to the ISD program at DePaul, and interdisciplinary studies in particular?

What drew me to the ISD program at DePaul was the ability to study my specific topics of interest at the graduate level. I believe that if progress is to be made on methodological rigor in the humanities and the social sciences, a holistic and grounded approach is required. People are not just a collection of atoms or computer processors; we are dynamic and reciprocal living organisms that experience the world, and through that experience, we change it just as it changes us.

Student Spotlight: Sheldon White

What do you believe sets the ISD program at DePaul apart from other interdisciplinary programs, and what do you see as its greatest strengths?

I honestly do not know how other ISD programs are organized or structures, so I cannot speak to comparisons. The DePaul ISD program's greatest strength seems to be the strong fluidity of the program as well as the considerations of ISD staff for how students articulate the use of their interdisciplinary approach.

Finally, what are your future aspirations, and how do you see the skills and knowledge you have gained through the ISD program contributing to your success?

Can you describe a favorite course or project that you have completed in the ISD program, and how has it helped you to explore new ideas and perspectives?

My favorite course and project has not yet been completed in the program, but it is currently underway. I am developing an experimental design through my Social Cognition course in the Psychology department that I will use to inform a qualitative and phenomenological research project through the philosophy department.

My future aspiration is to work on research of consciousness and its mechanisms from a perspective that is non-reductionist and appeals, first and foremost, to the experience of people. Without genuinely trying to understand who we are, we cannot provide solutions to the global issues that we all face. The skills and knowledge I have gained through DePaul's ISD program crosses disciplinary boundaries which provide me with the perspectives that I need in order to approach the study of people, individually and collectively, in a way that is accessible not to just psychologists, not just neuroscientists, not just philosophers, not just statisticians or complex systems theorists, but to all of them and, I hope one day, all of us.

Can you speak to some of the opportunities for research, internships, or other experiential learning within the ISD program, and how these have enriched your education?

During this quarter, I was solicited by my current philosophy professor to work with her on a Discover Chicago course this coming fall. This will be my first opportunity to teach at the college level and to pass on all that I have learned. Alternatively, as I mentioned prior, I am developing an experimental cognitive science research paradigm that I will use to inform an interdisciplinary research project down the line. This has been the most salient application of my interdisciplinary approach to my intellectual development.

What are some of the benefits of studying in an interdisciplinary program, and how does this approach differ from more traditional academic programs?

The standout benefit to me is the ability to specifically cultivate an academic plan that integrates multiple domains of inquiry into a coherent and fruitful learning experience, and one that is motivated, directed, and carried out by the student's particular goals. A traditional academic program can never incorporate such curricula to fulfill the particular needs of a particular student. This is not to downplay the importance of other academic programs; it is only to point out the specificity allowed, and maybe required, for those who create their own path based on their vision, their goals, and their future.

LAS Graduate Symposium

Disciplines in Dialogue: Where We've Been, Where We're Going

On behalf of the Graduate Student Committee of LAS, we are excited to announce the return of our LAS Graduate Student Symposium to celebrate the work of our graduate students.

We invite submissions that share ideas about theory, practice, policy and debates about the pressing issues of our time. By grappling with where we've been and imagining where we're going, consider how your work addresses a pressing social issue, a current hot topic, social change, (in)equality, or social justice.

All DePaul graduate students are welcome to submit. All presenters will receive a Certificate of Completion, recognition in the symposium program, and a chance to win small prizes.

Save the date!

may 20th, 2023 4 - 9 pm

0 5 2 0 2 3

month day year

Student Center Room 314 AB Lincoln Park Campus

You get resources! You get resources! Everybody gets resources!

Center for Students with Disabilities

The Center coordinates DePaul’s provision of accommodations for students with documented disabilities. The Center assists students with accommodations to insure equal access to educational resources, provides assistive technologies, offers clinician specialist services, and links students to potential financial aid and internship opportunities. Explore

Counseling Center

University Counseling Service helps remove barriers to learning by providing accessible psychological and psychiatric assessment, short-term psychotherapy, medication management, consultation and crisis intervention, community referrals as well as workshops and psychoeducational programming to currently enrolled students. Explore

Health and Wellness

This resource directs students to DePaul’s health options such as DePaul’s partnership with the Presence medical group, sexual and reproductive health resources, immunization information, substance abuse support, and more. Explore

Career Center

The DePaul Career Center inspires excitement about the future and empowers DePaul students to own and shape their personal and professional journeys by helping students build confidence, explore possibilities, and develop a powerful personal brand.

Dean of Students

The DOS is primarily responsible for administering and adjudicating violations of the Code of Student Responsibility at DePaul University. Additionally, the office provides the administrative withdrawal and absence notification process, and can help students identify campus and community resources in times of personal and/or family crises and medical emergencies.

Office of LGBTQA

This office exists to promote, foster and support a campus environment that is inclusive of people from all sexualities and gender identities. This mission is achieved through a range of services, educational programs and community building events that reflect the needs and interests of the diverse LGBTQA communities at DePaul.

Office of Multicultural Student Success

OMSS provides academic success information, developmental programs, and key staff contacts for first generation, low income students, or students of color to empower them to be their own advocates during a time of crisis. OMSS also offers programs through three, identity-specific student centers (Black, Latinx and LGBTQA), as well as intersectional programming and a resource for undocumented students at DePaul.

Peer Support

DePaul offers a number of peer mentoring programs, the STARS (Students Together are Reaching Success), LGBTQA, and other mentorship programs for first generation students, men of color, women of color, LGBTQ students, and more.

Sexual Health and Violence Prevention

Campus and Community resources are available to both survivors and supporters. This site offers resources for counseling, medical and legal services, personal and academic support, education for prevention, information about policies and procedures regarding reporting and methods of addressing sexual and relationship violence. Explore

That’s all Folks!

Writing Center

The University Center for Writing-based Learning (UCWbL) works with everyone in the DePaul University community to support writers and to promote the use of writing in teaching and learning. The UCWbL is part of the Office of Academic Affairs and includes 5 central programs: The Writing Center, The Writing Fellows Program,Workshops, The Collaborative for Multilingual Writing & Research, and Outreach. Explore

Resources for Undocumented Students

This site offers resources dedicated to providing information for current and prospective undocumented students about financial aid options, admissions, and the offices available at DePaul to support them. It is intended to serve as a helpful guide for faculty and staff interested in learning more about serving the needs of undocumented students, and the university s commitment to a creating a supportive environment for all students here at DePaul.

Pu

lic Safety

Public safety offers emergency response, hospital transportation, safety escort service, as well as lost and found.

Spring Events

DePaul FEST

Celebrate the end of the academic year at DePaul's spring concert, FEST, presenting Opening Act Eblem3 & Headliner Flo Milli! Join us for the historic event of the first woman of color headlining FEST!

Friday, May 26th Starts at 4:00 pm

Out At Work

Join the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center & Career Center for a mini mixer with various professionals from the LGBTQIA+ communities & learn about how they are navigating their gender identity, sexuality, & being out at work.

Thursday, May 18 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm CDT

Spring Events

EF Info Session featuring International Language Campuses

Tuesday, May 16 11:00 am - 12:00 pm CDT

A virtual information session about EF Education First & its 15 different business & specifically spotlight EF International Language Campuses. We are actively hiring for summer jobs & full-time administrative staff positions.

Hispanic and Latino Network Meet Ups - Communicating Impact Through Resumes

During this virtual event, you’ll receive resume writing tips & have the opportunity to ask questions about drafting a resume that communicates impact. Join us for this informal meet up, and let’s talk resumes!

Wednesday, May 24 11:00 am - 12:00 pm CDT

Kickstart Your Career

To increase your chances of success in the job market, it is crucial to leverage a range of resources and take an active approach to your job search. By utilizing the various online and offline resources offered to you by DePaul and taking initiative, you can jumpstart your job hunt and position yourself for success.

Career Library

Alumni KnowledgeSharing(ASK) Network Services for New Students

Career Closet

Diversity Resources

Big Interview

Handshake

Blue Demon Success

Stories

Career Fairs & Events

500 Companies Hiring Students on Handshake Right Now

Deadnames and Queer

Discrimination in the Workplace

Building Your Brand Through Your Portfolio: Best Practices and Examples

How to Impress Employers at Virtual Events

Get a Job Online as a College Student: 4 Tips From Recruiters

Be An Ally to

LBGTQ+ Workers: 7 Action Items for Advocacy and Education