There Are 'Problems' and Then There Are 'Wicked Problems'

Workshop led by Timothy Chapin

Members of WVU, local nonprofits, government agencies and community stakeholders are invited to WVU’s first transdisciplinary research colloquia, held over a series of virtual lectures in spring 2021.

Transdisciplinary research is a form of research that transcends disciplinary boundaries. One way it accomplishes this is by incorporating community based or other participatory approaches to research into its framework. Transdisciplinary research actively seeks to integrate non-academic partners as equal members of a project or team. No one academic discipline has the breadth, scope and knowledge to confront large or “wicked” social problems alone. But WVU researchers learning together with non-academic partners in government, industry, nonprofits and beyond can introduce new ideas, make sustainable change and develop innovative and holistic approaches to all forms of social inequity.

About the Speaker

Tim Chapin is dean of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy and a professor of urban and regional planning at Florida State University. Prior to his appointment as dean, he served a six-year term as chair of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, two years as associate dean for development and one year as interim dean. Since joining FSU in 1999, Chapin has undertaken research on the effectiveness of Florida’s growth management system and the role of sports facilities in the promotion of urban redevelopment. He is a noted expert on land use and comprehensive planning, growth management and urban redevelopment. Chapin’s current research interests revolve around how Florida’s demographic trends influence urban patterns and transportation systems in the state. Over his career he has secured more than $3 million in outside funding from federal, state and local governments to support his research. He holds a BA in Sociology from Emory University, a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Georgia Institute of Technology and a PhD in urban design and planning from the University of Washington.