He joins IAS in fall 2017.
Although Assistant Professor Colin Agur has yet to finish his first year teaching at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, he already has big plans for the upcoming fall semester. He was selected for the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) 2017-18 residential fellowship. The mission of IAS is to bring together people from across the University’s colleges and campuses to collaborate, discuss and engage together in some of the world’s most complex issues.
“This is a tremendous honor, especially for a new faculty member, since the fellowships are highly competitive and come from faculty across the entire university,” said Al Tims, former SJMC Director.
Each year, up to 12 University of Minnesota faculty members are selected for the program. Fellows are released from their teaching obligations during the tenure of their fellowships so they may pursue their own work and participate in the IAS community.
“It’s a unique, interdisciplinary program at UMN,” Agur said. “I’m excited to learn about the other fellows’ projects, take part in collaborative workshops, and hear thoughts from other fellows on my work in mobile communication.”
During Agur’s fellowship, he aims to prepare a book manuscript for submission to Oxford University Press, tentatively titled, The Dark Side of Mobile Networks. The book will identify and conceptualize the unanticipated social, economic and legal consequences of mass mobile phone usage around the world.
“I hope to gain new insights in my work on mobile communication, learn about the projects other fellows are working on, get some good writing done, and come away with new ideas for future work,” Agur said.
The IAS provides a workspace and a computer in their offices on the second floor of Northrop. Fellowships are expected to devote a considerable amount of time at IAS, interacting with the other residential fellows during their residency semester.
“I am very pleased to be selected for this outstanding program and look forward to getting to know the other fellows,” he said.
