Faculty Researchers to Explore Privacy Issues in Honors Forum

Photo by Zabou

Graffiti in Shoreditch, London, UK.

The data-driven products on our devices claim to personalize user experience and improve our time online. But what are the potential risks of this data gathering, and where does our personal information go? Moreover, what rights do we hold over our information today? What does “privacy” mean in 2023? 

These questions will be examined in the U of A Honors College course Privacy, a daily online forum that will be offered May 15-26. The forum is organized by Honors Arkansas, an alliance of colleges across the state committed to enhancing student excellence. 

“Privacy represents an interdisciplinary collaboration among honors colleges and programs,” notes Honors College Dean Lynda Coon. ”The goal is to take a deep dive into pressing subjects of great interest to this generation of students.” 

Privacy will bring together faculty experts across disciplines to examine current controversies related to privacy. Perspectives will span anthropological readings of privacy, data science and the ethics of privacy, cybersecurity, legal and constitutional definitions of privacy, philosophies of privacy, medical readings of privacy, archival secrets, state surveillance and individual privacy, architectures of privacy as well as privacy and the supply chain system.

Honors students may enroll in the course, and members of the community are invited to sit in. All who wish to view the course sessions online should fill out the interest form.

Unpacking Privacy

Through its interdisciplinary investigation of “privacies,” the forum will prepare students to tackle contemporary problems related to privacy with historical and cultural competencies. 

One of those sessions will be led by Micah Hester, professor and chair of the Medical Humanities and Bioethics Department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science, and will focus on privacy in healthcare.  

“It is a fundamental obligation of medicine to keep patient information confidential, but is that really even possible?” Hester asked. 

Hester will explore the debates around protecting one’s personal information amid public health considerations, including threats of pandemics, sanitation, bioterrorism and the more daily threat of spreading disease.

Simon Hawkins, a professor of anthropology at University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will lead another session examining cultural conceptions of private and public life. 

“As we look to struggles over privacy in the future, we need to be aware of its history and the various ways cultures have grappled with the relationship of the individual and the society,” he said. “Our thoughts about privacy are not separate from our larger social structures but have been intertwined throughout history.”

Over two weeks, honors instructors across Arkansas will present on additional topics ranging from cybersecurity to the design of private spaces. 

Presenters include: 

• Marlon Blackwell, Distinguished Professor/E. Fay Jones Chair, architecture, U of A
• Lynda Coon, professor of history/dean of the Honors College, U of A
• Matthew Evans, professor of political science, NWACC 
• Chris Farnell, director, National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission, College of Engineering, U of A
• Simon Hawkins, professor of anthropology/director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program, UALR 
• Micah Hester, chair/professor of Medical Humanities & Bioethics, UAMS 
• Mark Killenbeck, Wylie H. Davis Distinguished Professor of Law, U of A
• Mary Lacity, director, Blockchain Center of Excellence, Walton College of Business, U of A
• Sharon Mason, professor of philosophy, UCA 
• Noah Pittman, associate dean of enrollment, Honors College, U of A
• Marc Scott, professor of supply chain management, U of A
• Karl Schubert, director of data science, colleges of Engineering, Business, and Arts & Sciences, U of A
• Joshua Youngblood, rare books librarian, Special Collections, Mullins Library, U of A
• Katrina Windon, collections management and processing unit head, Special Collections, Mullins Library, U of A

Recordings of each class will be posted online after each session to the Honors College website.

About Honors Arkansas: Honors Arkansas is an alliance of honors colleges and programs from across the state collectively working to enhance the scholarly, professional and social experiences of high-achieving students. Each May Intersession, Honors Arkansas partners honors scholars with faculty from multiple institutions with the goal of diving into pressing subjects of great interest to the current generation of students.

About the U of A Honors College: Established in 2002, the University of Arkansas Honors College helps the university’s top undergraduate students excel academically, flourish personally and experience a world of opportunities. Each year the Honors College awards up to 90 freshman fellowships that provide $72,000 over four years, and more than $1 million in undergraduate research and study abroad grants. The Honors College is nationally recognized for the high caliber of students it admits and graduates. Honors students enjoy small, in-depth classes, and programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students’ academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. Fifty percent of Honors College graduates have studied abroad and 100 percent of them have engaged in mentored research.

About the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.