The Institute for Community and Society Transformation (ICAST) brings together talent and expertise to transform communities and societies through multidisciplinary, community-engaged research, scholarship, and creative activity. Faculty and researchers from social sciences, education, and humanities disciplines are teaming up with collaborators from health sciences, STEM disciplines, and community partners to understand and address pressing societal problems and needs. Building on prior experiences and successes at the University of Oklahoma, the strategic areas described below represent areas of strength as well as future aspiration for how ICAST can positively impact communities and societies at local, national, and global levels.
There are many areas of need with respect to advancing equity and opportunity in society today. ICAST is well-positioned to engage in research and community partnerships to understand and address drivers of education and health disparities. Our work with affiliates such as the Early Childhood Education Institute (ECEI), the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, Native Tribal Communities, and other collaborators has revealed new paths for supporting the health of Oklahomans from underserved communities, for generating research on early childhood programming and policies, and for advancing educational outcomes for students with disabilities, and more.
Technology advancements are essential for meeting many societal challenges such as climate change, workforce shortages, pandemics, national and global defense needs, extremism, and many others. Technology enables unprecedented digital connectedness and information access, telemedicine, advanced automation in diverse occupational settings, and a myriad of conveniences, social connections, and entertainment in our daily lives. However, there are also dark sides to such technologies. Social media has facilitated extremism, societal polarization, and the spread of mis/disinformation. Artificial intelligence that operates without humans in the decision loop can result in disastrous consequences in automated vehicles, military technologies, manufacturing and many other settings. ICAST aims to better understand technology opportunities and threats as they impact human health and well-being in order to inform technology design, development, and policy.
As key actors in Oklahoma’s culture, economy, and governance, Native tribes should also be centrally involved in Native research. Sharing resources and capabilities at OU with Native Nations in ways that enable tribes to shape research, scholarship and creative activity to support Native communities and to strengthen the sovereignty of Native Nations and the continuance of their cultures. The Center for Applied Social Research (CASR) and other ICAST affiliates have been working with Native communities for almost two decades.
