Interview and write-up by Stokes Schwartz (CISAH)
In an era increasingly defined by rapid technological shifts and the rise of generative AI, the question of what it means to be human has moved from the philosophical margin to the center of our daily lives. At Michigan State University, IAH faculty provide the essential framework for that inquiry, bringing a specialized fusion of deep humanities expertise and pedagogical agility. Their unique vocation requires a rare ability to bridge diverse perspectives and guide students through the complexities of our shared cultural landscape. To launch our new series highlighting the scholars behind these courses, we begin this month with Soohyun Cho, exploring the distinct scholarship and vision she brings to the MSU classroom.
Stokes Schwartz: When did you begin teaching IAH courses?
Soohyun Cho: I started teaching IAH courses in Fall 2024.
Schwartz: What’s your latest professional accomplishment or milestone?
Cho: This semester, I’ve been excited about connecting my research on Art in Health more closely with teaching. I’ve been involved in projects such as “Creativity in the Time of Covid-19” and “Art as Medicine” that explore how creativity can foster wellbeing and builds social connections. Seeing these ideas come alive in the classroom – and watching students engage with them through their own creative practices – has been a real joy for me.
Schwartz: How do you incorporate your particular area of expertise and/or research into your approach to teaching IAH courses?
Cho: I’m currently working on a manuscript about neurodivergent detective figures in Anglophone and East Asian popular culture. As I study fandom and audience responses, I’ve really enjoyed teaching IAH courses on popular culture and disability representation. One of the joys of teaching a popular culture class is that I often learn from students as much as they learn from me. The breadth and depth of different fandoms they bring into the classroom constantly opens up new and exciting directions for how I approach the study of media.
Schwartz: Describe one (or more) innovative teaching practice you call on routinely in your IAH courses.
Cho: I wouldn’t necessarily call it innovative, but I spend the first two weeks of the semester working with students to establish class norms and discuss access needs. We return to these conversations throughout the semester. Each section develops its own norms and access document based on the people in the room. For instance, this semester, one section prefers having two of the light switches off, while another prefers one side of the window blinds closed and the other open. Through this process, we also talk about access conflicts and limitations, ultimately getting to know one another a little better and beginning to pay attention to how our bodyminds interact with our environments.
Schwartz: What’s one pedagogical practice or approach you’d like to try in the future?
Cho: Just last week, we had the opportunity to work with the artist Zahrah Resh, who visited our class as part of a community exhibition project creating butterfly gardens in veterans’ hospitals and health clinics across the U.P. Experiences like this encourage me to continue integrating community-engaged projects at the intersection of art and healing into my teaching. In the future, I’d love to create more opportunities for students to collaborate with local artists or community organizations and explore how creative practices can foster care and belonging.
Schwartz: What do you enjoy most about teaching IAH courses?
Cho: One of the things I love most is the range of perspectives students bring. As a scholar working at the intersections of digital humanities, health humanities, and literary cognition, I’m immediately drawn to IAH’s interdisciplinary setting. In one of my current sections, for instance, we have students from 28 different majors across a class of 49. That diversity allows us to bring multiple perspectives into our conversations – and in the process, students learn how to translate ideas across disciplines – whether we’re talking about popular culture, art, medicine, or social media.
Schwartz: What’s one thing you know now that you wish you had known when you first taught an IAH course?
Cho: I would probably tell my past self not to try to do too many things all at once. When you’re passionate about a topic, it’s tempting to include every interesting text, film, or activity. But over time I’ve come to appreciate the value of slowing down and creating space for reflection. In many ways, “less is more.”
Schwartz: What is your dream IAH course/topic?
Cho: One dream would be to take students to Korea so we could experience firsthand some of the cross-cultural similarities and differences we talk about in class. I also often imagine what a year-long version of an IAH course might look like. Sixteen weeks can feel surprisingly short for the kinds of creative and collaborative projects we begin. Our class also just got invited to an art studio on a farm, and I enjoy imagining a class where students could spend time in a space like that, creating and exploring together!
Schwartz: Finally, what’s the most exciting IAH course idea you haven’t (yet) taught?
Cho: At the Digital Humanities and Literary Cognition (DHLC) Lab, we previously collaborated with an art class to create an accessible exhibition featuring tactile artworks designed to be touched and experienced through multiple senses. I would love to bring a version of that project into an IAH course – perhaps in collaboration with MSU Surplus – to create multisensory artworks while thinking about accessibility, creativity, and disability studies through hands-on collaboration. </indent>
Thank you Soohyun! Our conversation above offers just one perspective on the specialized expertise our IAH faculty bring to the MSU community. We look forward to continuing this series next month, where we will explore another scholar’s unique approach to the humanities and their impact on the contemporary classroom. Join us then as we feature CISAH colleague Chris Emery, who brings his expertise in Creative Writing to the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities.