Honors

Home Praxis Lab How We Die
Health & Society 2016-2017

How We Die

This Praxis Lab explored the evolving landscape of death and dying in the modern world, examining the shift from infectious disease mortality to prolonged battles with degenerative illnesses like cancer, heart failure, and dementia. Students investigated critical questions surrounding end-of-life care, including palliative care, physician-assisted dying, and the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of death with dignity.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, participants analyzed media portrayals of death, disparities in end-of-life care, and the financial and emotional costs associated with modern dying. In the second semester, students applied their knowledge to a hands-on project aimed at fostering more informed and compassionate approaches to end-of-life decision-making.

Instructors:

Margaret P. Battin, PhD

More Praxis Labs

Infectious Disease on the Run
Health & Society

Infectious Disease on the Run

Margaret P. Battin, PhD
Wendy Hobson-Rohrer, MD

This Praxis Lab examined the history, science, and ethical implications of pandemics, from the Black Plague to COVID-19. Students analyzed how diseases spread, the social and political responses to outbreaks, and the ethical considerations of public health interventions.

More Info2021-2022
Policy & Social Justice

Education, Incarceration & Justice: Punishment and Opportunity in an Era of Mass Imprisonment

Erin Castro
Roberto Garcia

This Praxis Lab examined the deep connections between education, incarceration, and justice in the United States, a country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Students explored the historical and systemic forces that have expanded the carceral state, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and communities of color.

More Info2016-2017
When Machines Decide: The Promise and Peril of Big Data
Policy & Social Justice

When Machines Decide: The Promise and Peril of Big Data

Randy Dryer
Suresh Venkatasubramanian

In an era of information abundance, this Praxis Lab examined the profound ways in which data collection, machine learning, and automated decision-making shape modern society.

More Info2016-2017