Ethics IRL: Campus Ethics in the Digital Era

Has social media turned free speech into free fall?

Where do we draw the line between expression, harm, and accountability in a digital world?

Can universities show us a better way to disagree online?

Ethics IRL is a new forum from the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics and the Civil Discourse Initiative of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office. In this inaugural session, panelists will tackle the real-world ethical dilemmas of social media’s impact on higher education.

Featuring diverse perspectives, this interactive event invites both in-person and virtual audiences to challenge assumptions and engage deeply with the complexities of public discourse. Ethics IRL is not a traditional panel series, but a Socratic-style dialogue designed to push boundaries that fosters rigorous and respectful debate.

REGISTER TO ATTEND IN-PERSON or VIEW THE LIVESTREAM.

Meet the Panelists for Ethics IRL:

Professor Nien-hê Hsieh (Moderator) is the Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and a faculty affiliate at the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics. His research focuses on ethical issues in business and the responsibilities of business leaders in contributing to a just society. He explores how organizations can navigate complex ethical challenges while upholding human rights, fairness, and democratic values. His academic work emphasizes the integration of ethical considerations into business decisions, promoting the idea that businesses play a crucial role in fostering societal well-being.

In addition to his research, Professor Hsieh is involved in interdisciplinary initiatives that address ethical questions at the intersection of business, politics, and society. He is committed to advancing civil discourse and ethical leadership through his teaching, scholarship, and participation in broader conversations about corporate responsibility and ethics. His contributions help guide leaders in making thoughtful, values-driven decisions that contribute to a more just and equitable world.

Sewell Chan (Panelist) joined the Columbia Journalism Review as executive editor in 2024. Previously, he was editor in chief of the Texas Tribune from 2021 to 2024, during which the nonprofit newsroom won its first National Magazine Award and was a Pulitzer finalist for the first time. From 2018 to 2021, he was a deputy managing editor and then the editorial page editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversaw coverage that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. Chan worked at the New York Times from 2004 to 2018, as a metro reporter, Washington correspondent, deputy op-ed editor, and international news editor. He began his career as a local reporter at the Washington Post in 2000. 

Brody Douglass (Panelist) is the president of the Harvard College Union Society. He is a sophomore concentrating in Economics with a secondary in philosophy. He is also a midshipman in Navy ROTC and plans to commission as an officer in the Navy after he graduates. Through previous projects, Brody has experience in leadership, management, local activism and state government. He has a passion for empowering others to speak freely and eloquently to represent their ideas in the best possible light to improve public discourse. 

Yael Eisenstat (Panelist) has spent over two decades combating extremism, polarization and anti-democratic behavior both on- and offline. She is currently The Director for Policy and Impact at Cybersecurity for Democracy out of NYU, working on policy solutions for how social media and online platforms affect political discourse, public safety, and democracy. Previously, she was Vice President at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), heading the Center for Technology and Society, where she led ADL’s efforts to hold tech companies accountable for the proliferation of hate and extremism on their platforms. 

Yaёl joined ADL in 2022 after a career in both public service and the tech industry, including as an intelligence officer, diplomat and special advisor to (former) Vice President Biden. She joined Facebook in 2018 as the head of global elections integrity for political ads, following several years as a vocal critic of the harms that social media has inflicted on democracy and societies worldwide. After leaving Facebook six months later, she spoke openly about the company’s inability to meet its responsibility to secure elections, and she has continued to push for changes in the tech industry ever since. 

Soleil Golden (Panelist) is a 2024 graduate of Harvard University with a degree in cognitive neuroscience and a minor in psychology. She is a premedical post-baccalaureate student in the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children’s Hospital, with a vested interest in child and developmental neuroscience. During her time at Harvard, Soleil also built a platform as a social media influencer, where she combined lifestyle content with social justice advocacy, engaging in conversations about student culture, mental health, and equity. Her ultimate goal is to become a pediatrician focused on the neural underpinnings of various psychopathologies and how clinically actionable neuroscience research can inform comprehensive mental health treatment. 

Rakesh Khurana (Panelist) is the Danoff Dean of Harvard College, the Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development at Harvard Business School, and a Professor of Sociology in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He earned his B.S. from Cornell University and his A.M. and Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Harvard. Khurana is a distinguished scholar whose research focuses on the selection and development of leaders and the dynamics of organizational behavior. Before his academic career, he was a founding member of Cambridge Technology Partners, adding practical business experience to his academic insights. 

Khurana is widely recognized for his thought leadership on business education and leadership development. He has authored influential works such as "Searching for a Corporate Savior: The Irrational Quest for Charismatic CEOs" and "From Higher Aims to Hired Hands," exploring the evolution of American business schools and the professionalization of management. His commitment to fostering civil discourse and thoughtful leadership extends beyond his scholarship, as he actively engages in initiatives that promote an inclusive and intellectually vibrant community at Harvard. 

James Mickens (Panelist) is the Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He earned his Bachelor of Science in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2001 and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2008. Prior to joining Harvard in 2015, Mickens was a researcher in the Distributed Systems group at Microsoft Research. His research encompasses distributed systems, security, and the societal implications of computing technologies.  

Beyond his research, Professor Mickens is known for his engaging and humorous approach to teaching and public speaking, often addressing the ethical challenges in cybersecurity and the broader impact of technology on society. He serves on the board of directors for Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society and co-directs the Institute for Rebooting Social Media, a three-year initiative aimed at innovating and improving social media platforms.