Rethinking Risk & Resilience

Exploring how people and societies understand, experience, and act under uncertainty in a rapidly changing world.

This project brings together scholars, creatives, and practitioners to explore how people and societies make sense of—and act under—conditions of uncertainty. From behavioral economics to storytelling and performance, we explore how cultural, social, emotional, and cognitive frameworks shape responses to systemic risks such as climate change, AI disruption, and social transformation.

Through analysis, creative practice, and thought leadership, this initiative surfaces new ways of understanding risk, resilience, and human agency to inform more grounded and effective strategies.

Amma Panin

Faith, Behavior, and Navigating Uncertainty
Amma’s fellowship builds on her research in behavioral economics to examine how Africans navigate risk through informal institutions such as religion. Her work explores how these social and cultural mechanisms can inform global conversations on uncertainty, resilience, and public trust in science and technology.
Jessamyn Fairfield

Jessamyn Fairfield – Comedy, Community, and Climate Agency
Jessamyn’s fellowship draws on her research and practice using improv and comedy to engage communities on climate change, translating these insights for policy and public audiences. She also explores how lessons from participatory traditions in diverse geographical and sectoral contexts can strengthen inclusive and effective engagement on climate risk and agency.
Kari Mugo

Storytelling, Uncertainty, and Public Imagination
Kari’s fellowship draws on her background in fiction, creative writing, and public engagement to explore African-centered storytelling as a way of navigating risk and complexity. Her work offers practical insights for scientists, communicators, and policymakers seeking to engage diverse publics with empathy and creativity.