Mission Statement
Founded in 2026, the Human Futures and Ethics Institute advances interdisciplinary research, teaching, and public engagement to examine how histories of science and emerging technologies shape ethical decision-making, public life, and human futures. It is committed to advancing interdisciplinary learning, cultivating ethical literacy, and producing public-facing scholarship that connects historical insight to present and future challenges, while positioning Truman as a leader in conversations about science, ethics, and the human condition.
Inspired by the University’s distinctive Harry H. Laughlin Papers housed in Pickler Memorial Library, and funded by the Provost’s Innovation Grant, the Institute’s inaugural initiative focuses on the “History and Legacy of Eugenics” as a lens for understanding the ethical stakes of scientific inquiry. This foundational work positions the institute to pursue expanded external funding and broaden its scope in subsequent years, enabling scholars and students to investigate a wide range of science-technology-social intersections and topics over the coming years.
Director: Kandice Grossman, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Social Science and Human Inquiry Department
Current Initiative
History and Legacy of Eugenics
Funded by the Provost’s Innovation Grant, HFEI’s first 18-month initiative focuses on the “History and Legacy of Eugenics” and is grounded and organized around three pillars, a public lecture and roundtable talk, a pedagogical community of practice, and the development of an interdisciplinary course.
Public Lecture: “The Afterlives of Eugenics: Science, Democracy, and the Ethics of Expertise” by Dr. Daniel HoSang
Date: Thursday, March 4, 2027 | Location: TBA
Interdisciplinary Course: SOAN 462/IDSM 352 “Eugenics, Society, and Re-Imagining Human Futures”
Instructor: Kandice Grossman | Spring 2027
Pedagogy Salon: “Teaching Eugenics Across the Curriculum”
Fall 2027 | Location: TBA
Contact
Kandice Grossman
kgrossman@truman.edu
(660) 785-7201