In the July-August 2022 issue of American Scientist, Mark Moritz and Nicholas C. Kawa published an article: “The world needs wicked scientists.” In the article, Moritz and Kawa discuss how the intricacies of today’s world have led to a rise in so-called “wicked problems,” ones that are both complex and political in nature.

These problems, the scholars argue, demand “wicked scientists” to unravel them. That is, people with transdisciplinary training that allows them to think beyond their primary field in the search for solutions to issues like food insecurity, COVID-19 and economic inequality.

“It’s easy to think a problem is just technical and not recognize the political dynamics,” said Moritz, professor in The Ohio State University Department of Anthropology. “If you don’t consider these dynamics, you will not be able to address the problem. You will overlook some of the more important things.”

With this thinking in mind, Moritz led the effort to create a graduate interdisciplinary specialization (GIS) in “wicked science.” The specialization is available to all graduate and professional students.