A Winter murder on Science Drive

It was a gun in the Kirby Reading Room! So was Dean Nowicki killed in the Fuqua School of Business for the murder-mystery component of the sixth annual Winter Forum, "To Catch a Killer: Investigating the Brain." This year’s three-day program focused on the connections between neuroscience and the legal system, continuing the fresh tradition of Winter Forum’s combination of seemingly disparate fields for an interactive learning experience. Past Winter Forums have tackled STEM education in the United States and India, refugee rights and resettlement and a “green” economy. The benefits of the program abound and should be expanded to reach more students.

In topic and in presentation, Winter Forum engages students in an accessible manner that fosters wide-reaching curiosity, no matter the extant level of expertise. This year’s program examining the potential use of fMRI in criminal cases, the legality and ethics of obtaining neurological and psychiatric information and the fallibility of memory and eyewitness testimony, for example, bridged together neuroscience, psychology and ethics, among other fields. For those familiar with the disciplines showcased in the forum, the program offered an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a simulation. For those without any background, the forum serves as a snapshot of areas of interest, perhaps inspiring potential majors while also raising awareness of current challenges in those fields. Winter Forum serves as a medium for exposing various students to disciplines they may not have considered.

Not only does the program make complex topics accessible, it also provides real-life applications to theories learned in the classroom. Students in this year’s forum not only satiated their childhood fantasies of enacting the murder-mystery game Clue in real life—having worked in small teams of students and mentors to solve Dean Nowicki’s murder—they did so while learning from experts in neuroscience and law.

The forum is an immersive and educational experience invaluable to students. Yet the forum could increase its potency by continuing its reach beyond the three-day program. For example, the program could provide a list of relevant courses offered that semester for participants to continue more formal learning. The forum could also be extended to reach more students, expanding from one to two programs a year. However, the strongest onus to continue education and civic engagement, or to explore new career interests, should come from the participants, as they have already demonstrated initiative by ending their break early to be a part of the forum.

Several teams in this year’s forum were successful in identifying the killer using what was learned over the course of three days. This was a success not only because of the spirit of competition, but because the killer’s next target was President Brodhead. Thankfully for President Brodhead and all of us, he was “saved” and was able to address the forum. During his remarks, President Brodhead touched on perhaps the greatest benefit of Winter Forum, noting that “education begins when requirements end.” In an environment where GPA and post graduate plans are constantly looming, an opportunity to gain knowledge for knowledge’s sake is greatly welcomed and should be made available to more students.