Public Affairs Theme 2025

Resilience (noun): the ability of people or things to recover quickly after something unpleasant (Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries). 

Resilience is a topic applied to many settings ranging from individuals to communities.  Individual and collective decisions affect the arts, agriculture, business, education, environment and in the areas of social, health and behavioral sciences.  It is not inherent to all, but it is something that can be taught, practiced and strengthened.  How do we develop and encourage resilience in individuals, as well as in our environment and the economy?  What characteristics are often displayed by those who have failed but move forward to succeed in other endeavors?  How do we educate for resilience through transitional experiences and learn to better adapt to change? How is resilience achieved in the face of poverty, catastrophe and/or a lack of resources?

What systems must be implemented to ensure that natural resources and ecosystems are able to withstand, absorb and rebound for future generations?  Can balance be achieved to accomplish environmental resilience yet meet the demand of human want and need?  How do we maintain a resilient planet with ever-changing environments caused by nature and human intervention?  How do accountability and resilience intersect, or do they?

Dr. Yating (Tina) Liang

Public Affairs Fellow and Public Affairs Conference Chair

We hope you will join the conversations as we consider and explore the above theme throughout the 2025-26 academic year and the Public Affairs Conference on Sept. 16-18, 2025.

MEET THE 2025-26 PUBLIC AFFAIRS FELLOW