Radcliffe Day explores past and future of the institute
Tomiko Brown-Nagin and Drew Faust, the current and former deans of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, discussed the history and future of the celebrated center, an intellectual incubator of ideas for scholars and artists from a range of backgrounds, on its 20th anniversary. The hourlong discussion Friday was the featured event of Radcliffe Day, an annual celebration of alumni and of achievement that typically unfolds under a large tent on Radcliffe’s campus, but was moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic. “As we bear witness to the devastating impacts of COVID-19, we at the institute have an opportunity and a responsibility to bring together our most innovative thinkers and to pursue a more equitable and sustainable public health and social infrastructure,” said Brown-Nagin of the cultural inequities the crisis has highlighted. “This crucial work can happen, and it is happening at Radcliffe because the institute is nimble enough to pursue its mission...