'An Intellectual Parade'

Clarke Forum director bridges classroom with the world

December 2, 2008

Harry Pohlman, the new executive director of The Clarke Forum, already is preparing programming for next year on topics such as health care, sustainability and bioinformatics.

Harry Pohlman's new post as executive director of The Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues is intellectually stimulating, to say the least.

"You meet people from all walks of life, with very different areas of expertise," he said with obvious relish. "It's an intellectual parade."

Pohlman, who holds the A. Lee Fritschler Chair in Public Policy, is an author/editor and Fulbright award-winning political-science professor. Because he had recently completed his latest book, Terrorism and the Constitution: The Post-9/11 Cases, the timing for the yearlong post was perfect.

"I was always interested in The Clarke Forum, and I hadn't yet started on any new [research] projects," he said in his West Louther Street office. "So I decided to see if I could do some good here."

Eye on the ball

Established in 1994 through a gift by Dickinson Trustee Emeritus Henry D. Clarke Jr. '55, The Clarke Forum brings prominent experts to the Dickinson community for lectures, panels and symposia that are designed to spark lively intellectual discussion, debate and dialogue about contemporary issues.

Pohlman said that although his one-year appointment as interim executive director is relatively short, he has a clear vision of what he hopes to accomplish.

"I don't view The Clarke Forum as an independent ivory tower that's separate from the rest of the campus," he said. "I believe it serves its mission in the best way when it focuses on the ball—and for me, that ball is the Dickinson students."

Pohlman said the forum should concentrate on programming that emphasizes the connections between current issues around the world and what Dickinson students learn in the classroom.

This year's theme of human rights explores a wide range of issues from torture, terrorism, human trafficking, health care and poverty to social justice in India and the Middle East; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights; race, class and gender in American education; the financial meltdown; legalization of marijuana; the drinking age and the presidential election … just to name a few.

These are often controversial topics, but The Clarke Forum encourages the Dickinson community to dive right in.

"A good deal of interesting and instructive dialogue can result from exploring these themes," Pohlman said, noting that science, social and political science, history, arts, literature and interdisciplinary courses each offer varying approaches to these issues.

Working together

Pohlman is quick to point out that the forum's three administrators and 10 student project managers are instrumental in seeing that their goals are met.

"A lot of hard work goes into the programming and they deserve a lot of credit," he said, adding that the forum also sponsors a student partnership program that allows Dickinson students to mentor local high-school students through training in Web research, desktop publishing and marketing material preparation.

Pohlman said his work with the students—both those who help shape the programs and those who attend them—is particularly gratifying.

"As a professor you have a very direct impact on 15, 20 or 30 students at a time," Pohlman said, noting that an Oct. 7 presentation by Spanish author Isabel Franc attracted approximately 200 students. "In this job, if you do the job well, you have the opportunity to have an indirect, but broader impact on the college community."

Pohlman already is preparing programming for next year on topics such as health care, sustainability and bioinformatics, and he looks forward to more opportunities that are educational in the future.

"We're building bridges between faculty, students, alumni and experts and professionals in the outside community. It's truly fascinating work," he said. "[These programs] bring the liberal-arts education to life."