The second part of Ray & Ezra’s conversation with Lerna Ekmekcioglu focuses on the unique insights Lerna offers, as a scholar of Ottoman and post-Ottoman societies and as a Turkish Armenian, on the campus crisis that occurred in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza. Remarkably, Lerna is able to identify strongly with each side of this conflict (and with members of the campus community who identify strongly with each side), but the strongest identification is with the larger institution— MIT— and its potential for bridging and transcending seemingly irreconcilable divides. The discussion also adds new angles on key ideas from episode 3:

1. Inclusion failure
2. Primary identities (vs. university roles and identities)
3. Bonding in response to threat

We’re excited to share the fifth episode of the Outsider/Insider podcast, co-hosted by Ray Reagans and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan and produced by MIT Sloan School of Management, Kate O’Sullivan executive producer. This is the second of a two-part episode, which features a conversation with Prof. Lerna Ekmekcioglu, the McMillan-Stewart Associate Professor of History and Director Women and Gender Studies Program at MIT. Below, you can find the show notes and opportunities to provide input.

This episode was produced and edited by Lucie McCormick, with assistance from Hamad Al Badi. Audio mixing by Hansdale Hsu. Graphic design by Mimi Phan. Music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Ray and Ezra are also grateful for input from many wonderful colleagues and friends in and outside MIT.

For complete show notes, please visit the substack page for this episode.

The first part of Ray & Ezra’s conversation with Lerna Ekmekcioglu offers historical and personal context for the identities that she encompasses as an Armenian Christian and Turkish national, and as an émigré to the United States. This discussion adds depth and nuance to the ideas developed in episode 1 and episode 2:

1. The invisible logic of collective bonding
2. The value of outsider-insider relationships

We’re excited to share the fourth episode of the Outsider/Insider podcast, co-hosted by Ray Reagans and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan and produced by MIT Sloan School of Management, Kate O’Sullivan executive producer. This is the first of a two-part episode, which features a conversation with Prof. Lerna Ekmekcioglu, the McMillan-Stewart Associate Professor of History and Director Women and Gender Studies Program at MIT. Below, you can find the show notes and opportunities to provide input.

This episode was produced and edited by Lucie McCormick, with assistance from Hamad Al Badi. Audio mixing by Hansdale Hsu. Graphic design by Mimi Phan. Music from Blue Dot Sessions.

For complete show notes, please visit the substack page for this episode.

Episode 3 is the third of three in which Ray and Ezra sketch a framework for how universities can realize their great promise for creating deep, meaningful and impactful connections between diverse people and avoid situations where community members feel devalued or threatened due to how their social identities are impacted by situations that arise within the community or by events in the world.

For complete show notes, please visit the Substack page for this episode.

Music from Blue Dot Sessions

We’re excited to share the second episode of the Outsider/Insider podcast, co-hosted by Ray Reagans and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan and produced by MIT Sloan School of Management.

Episode 2 of the Outsider/Insider podcast is the second of three in which Ray and Ezra sketch a framework for how universities can realize their great promise for creating deep, meaningful and impactful connections between diverse people and avoid situations where community members feel devalued or threatened due to how their social identities are impacted by situations that arise within the community or by events in the world.

For complete show notes, please visit the Substack page for this episode.

Music from Blue Dot Sessions.

We are very excited to share the pilot episode of the Outsider/Insider podcast, co-hosted by Ray Reagans and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan and produced by MIT Sloan School of Management. Kate O’Sullivan is the executive producer. You can find the show notes and opportunities to provide input) on the Outsider/Insider Substack site for this episode.

This episode was produced in the spring of 2004 by Nora CB, with support from Sheena Ozaki and Pete Langston; it was recorded by Chris McDonnnell. Ray and Ezra are also grateful for input from many wonderful colleagues and friends in and outside MIT.

For complete show notes visit: https://substack.com/@outsiderinsiderpodcast/p-148649631

Music from Blue Dot Sessions