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 Eugenics Collection 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