S. Craig Watkins
Ernest S. Sharpe Centennial Professor
S. Craig Watkins is the Ernest S. Sharpe Centennial Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. An internationally recognized expert in media, Watkins is the author of six books exploring young people’s engagement with media and technology. His two most recent books—The Digital Edge and Don’t Knock the Hustle—result from his work with the Connected Learning Research Network, a research collaborative funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
Watkins is the founding director of the Institute for Media Innovation, a new boutique hub for research and design located in the Moody College of Communication at UT Austin. IMI brings together a unique collection of social scientists, media creatives, journalists, and designers to translate research-driven knowledge into critical and creative engagement with a media-, tech-, and AI-driven world that grows more influential every day.
His work has been profiled in places as varied as the Washington Post, The Atlantic, Newsweek, TIME, ESPN, NPR, and featured at venues like SXSW, The Aspen Institute, and The New York Times Dialogue on Race.
“Will There Be Jobs in the Future?”
Why Educators Should Develop Future-Ready Students
Educators in higher education often explain that their primary task is to create students who are “career ready.” But what does it mean to develop career-ready students when the notion of a career as we have known it no longer exists? In this talk, author and the founding director of the Institute for Media Innovation at the University of Texas at Austin, S. Craig Watkins, argues that educators should emphasize developing future-ready students.
More specifically, future readiness includes the ability to leverage technology and human capital to solve uncharted problems, design inventive solutions, practice on-demand learning, and think critically and creatively about our data driven world. Drawing from his two new books—The Digital Edge and Don’t Knock the Hustle—Watkins argues that in the context of the ‘gig economy’ and automation learning how to create your own career pathway is a crucial skill and one that demands that students and the educators who prepare them for the world think and act differently.
Learn more about the President’s Speaker Series
Northern Arizona University seeks to enhance education and understanding by fostering an environment in which to nurture and broaden perspectives.
The President’s Distinguished Speaker Series at Northern Arizona University offers students, faculty, staff, and members of our community opportunities to hear from, and engage with, nationally recognized thought leaders about important possibilities, issues, and challenges in our world today.
Frequently asked questions
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The High Country Conference Center is located at 201 W. Butler Ave. Complimentary parking will be available in the High Country Conference Center Garage.
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For those who are unable to attend, the President’s Speaker Series will be streamed online for viewing.