This discussion is a form of resistance against the death and dehumanization that surrounds us and the rhetoric that shies away from difficult conversations.

Drs. Scott Franklin and Alia Hamdan study empathy — understanding the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of others — between physics faculty and their students. Their work focuses on how identity sharing and contextual understanding enhance empathetic engagement, including both cognitive and emotional ways of connecting with others, and its impact on learning.

On Oct 7, 2023 they awoke to find their scholarship inextricably entangled with their personal identities as Jewish- and Palestinian-American. Navigating the ensuing months meant attending to each other as humans, extending empathy and understanding towards the other’s emotions and life circumstances. Their writings from that time reveal common themes of helplessness, fear, concern for each other, and appreciation for how their scholarly expertise both facilitated and benefited from the conversations. Together, they created a space for difficult conversations that embraced vulnerability, acknowledged the potential for hurt, and built trust through a basic principle of seeing the other as human first and prioritizing mutual support and care.

This interactive discussion explores their journey and its relevance in the current political and geopolitical environment. Excerpts will be shared and discussed in a moderated, interactive format with opportunities for the audience to contribute both questions and their own experiences. The goal is not to find common ground in political or geopolitical controversy but to reflect on how we can connect with and support one another as humans.