In her March lecture, historian Dr. Jesse Vander Heide explored the hidden social worlds of young women in 19th-century American boarding schools, revealing how these institutions were both sites of control and unexpected spaces of resistance.

This post is guest-authored by History MA student, Roberto Rios.

Robin Wall Kimmerer, mother, enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Native American botanist, professor, and author, spoke with community members and students at Bowling Green State University on Friday, March 27, in Kobacker Hall of the Moore Musical Arts Center, and at the Veterans Memorial Building at the Bowling Green, City Park, Saturday, March 28. Dr. Kimmerer, discussed themes from her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plant, and her perspective of interacting with the environment to a combined crowd of over 1200 people from across the region.

Dr. Savitri Kunze, Associate Professor of History, recently joined colleagues from across campus for a lively interdisciplinary panel titled “Human-Centered Creativity in an AI World.” Moderated by Rob Green from the Department of Computer Science, the conversation brought together faculty from diverse creative fields: Lucas Ostrowski, (Department of Theatre and Film), Divya S (School of Media and Communication), and Charles Tucker (School of Art) in addition to Dr. Kunze and Dr. Rob Green. Talking to a full room in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union, panelists explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping the creative process, from accelerating learning and offering new tools to collaborating as a “co-creator” in artistic and scholarly work. Yet, they also raised thoughtful concerns about AI’s potential to manipulate truth, produce “hallucinated” results, and overshadow the human element of creativity.

Despite these challenges, the panelists agreed that AI cannot replace the soul, lived experience, and “unexpected, messy” aspects that define human creativity. Each discipline brought its own historical relationship to tools and innovation. The various faculty members emphasized that while AI can simplify tasks like writing or brainstorming, it remains just one instrument among many. The discussion encouraged participants to engage critically with AI—acknowledging its contributions without stigmatizing its use—and to continue nurturing the human spark that drives discovery and art at BGSU.