Chicago Humanities Returns to Illinois Tech

Illinois Tech and Chicago Humanities are joining forces again. On Saturday, October 4, catch thought-provoking presentations, interactive experiences, and inspiring installations at Chicago’s only tech-focused university in historic Bronzeville.

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These are conversations rooted in community — connecting people to the ideas that shape and define us, while encouraging a lifelong exploration of the world around us.

—Lauren Pacheco, Marilyn Thoma Co-Creative Director, Chicago Humanities

Featuring 10+ Events

Sasha Costanza-Chock in conversation with ID Professor Weslynne Ashton about the relationship between design, power, and social justice;
FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver in conversation with Nobel prizewinning economist Richard Thaler and introduced by ID Associate Professor Ruth Schmidt;
Disability advocate and online creative Molly Burke on how she lost her vision but found her voice;
Washington Post writer Christian Davenport on the rocket dreams of Musk and Bezos;
Culture critic and fashion editor Robin Givhan on the late creative visionary (and Illinois Tech alum) Virgil Abloh;
An in-depth look at the Wrigley Building, one of Chicago’s most emblematic buildings;
Co-directors of the Chicago-based Floating Museum on design as an iterative process;
An unforgettable bus tour led by the viral TikTok historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas.

ILLINOIS TECH DAY 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

Ruha Benjamin and Alicia Bunton: Imagination

Ruja Benjamin challenges us to see imagination as a resource and capacity for transforming systems that trap us in lopsided futures. Through a range of examples, Ruja reveals how those who monopolize power limit social imagination while letting their own technological visions run wild. The path forward requires building solidarity across difference and understanding that our well-being is interconnected. Designing better futures demands both the critical thinking to recognize problems and the creative courage to envision what’s possible.

Watch the full 2024 Chicago Humanities + Illinois Tech Playlist on YouTube

John Maeda and Anijo Mathew, Redefining Design in the Era of AI

Microsoft VP John Maeda reveals how AI fundamentally changes how we create software and automate work. His conversation with ID Dean Anijo Mathew explores three types of design—classical, design thinking (pioneered at ID), and computational. Maeda argues that AI becomes the new material of design, similar to how steel and glass defined previous generations, requiring designers to develop craft skills in molding AI systems or risk being left behind in an accelerating technological landscape.

Watch the full 2024 Chicago Humanities + Illinois Tech Playlist on YouTube

Walter Hood and Maria Villalobos: Architecture and Urbanism

Walter Hood’s design practice centers on truth-telling and generosity, bringing the same rigor to community projects as prestigious commissions. By grounding projects in historical conversation and confronting uncomfortable truths about place and power, Hood transforms design from aesthetic exercise into a tool for justice and genuine community building.

Watch the full 2024 Chicago Humanities + Illinois Tech Playlist on YouTube

Caro Murphy and Carly Kocurek: Interactive Experience Design

Caro Murphy and Carly Kocurek explore how immersive entertainment has evolved to address our fundamental human need for meaningful connection. From 1980s street performers to today’s complex experiences like Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, people discover untapped capabilities within themselves while grappling with challenges around cost, accessibility, and safety. Immersive experiences create bounded spaces where people practice the very human connections we’ve lost in everyday life, with the hope of bringing that generosity and curiosity back into the real world.

Watch the full 2024 Chicago Humanities + Illinois Tech Playlist on YouTube