DEI Critical Conversations Flash Panel: Russia-Ukraine: Media, Narratives, Nationalism, and the Question of Inclusive Democracy

Flash Panel: March 21, 2022
1:00-2:30 PM Los Angeles | 4:00-5:30 PM New York | 5:00 – 6:30 PM Rio de Janeiro | 9:00 – 10:30 PM Berlin | 11:00 PM – 12:30 AM Nairobi | 4:00-5:30 AM on March 22, Shanghai | 7:00 -8:30 AM on March 22, Sidney

The panel will feature Fielding faculty and guest speakers who will discuss the Russia-Ukraine events from the perspective of their field of expertise. Members of the Fielding community and the public are welcome to attend.

The panel speakers are as follows:

Philipp Kneis, Ph.D., Oregon State University, Associate Professor of Political Science. His main research interests pertain to intersections of culture and politics in the US and the European Union, international affairs, and cultural diplomacy. He is one of the founding members of the Transatlantic Students Symposia.

Dr. Kneis will provide an overview of the situation and the cultural and historical complexity of Central/Eastern Europe.

Richard Appelbaum, Ph.D., Fielding Graduate University, Doctoral Faculty and Director of Leadership for Sustainability Concentration in the School of Leadership Studies. Dr. Appelbaum has published extensively in social theory, urban sociology, public policy, the globalization of business, and the sociology of work and labor.

Dr. Appelbaum will discuss the following: Are we witnessing a new world order? Is this the breakdown of the old post-World War II economic experiment in globalization?

Regina Tuma, Ph.D., Fielding Graduate University, Doctoral Faculty, Media Psychology Program. Dr. Tuma is a social psychologist interested in perception, cognition, Gestalt theory, and the history of psychology as a source of innovation for media psychology.

Dr. Tuma will explore how the media, specifically, social media coverage of Ukraine, influences democracy and political discourse in the United States.

Pamela Rutledge, Ph.D., Fielding Graduate University, Doctoral Faculty, Media Psychology Program. Dr. Rutledge applies behavioral, social, and neuroscience to understand the impact of media content and technology design and the anticipation of audience behaviors. She also focuses on identifying human motivations, behavioral triggers, and instinctive drives to inform messaging and data strategies that deliver actionable insights.

Dr. Rutledge will delve into the role of memes and media in the manufacturing crisis and doom.

Lesley-Anne Pittard, Ph.D., University of Oregon, Assistant Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement and Affiliate Faculty, Clark Honors College. Former Chief Liaison for External and Strategic Partnerships in the Equity and Inclusion Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin is passionate about underserved families, groups, and communities. She believes true diversity, equity, and inclusion can only happen by way of prepared talent pipelines.

Dr. Pittard will discuss the intersection of global diversity, extremism, and nationalistic rhetoric in the Ukraine crisis–the need to move DEI work beyond the American narrative of difference.