Science writer public interview is part of Chancellor Gallo’s inauguration

Annie Murphy Paul part of Day of Engagement Oct. 19

June 7, 2022 – A Day of Engagement with a featured interview with science writer Annie Murphy Paul will kick off the celebration of the inauguration of University of Wisconsin-River Falls Chancellor Maria Gallo.

Paul is the author of “The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain,” which was published in June 2021. 

In her book, Paul said people need to think outside their brains. The feelings and movement of one’s body, the physical space one learns and works in, and the minds of those around each of us can help a person focus more intently, comprehend more deeply and create more imaginatively.

The book outlines the research behind a new vision of human ability, exploring the findings of neuroscientists, cognitive scientists and psychologists. It examines the practices of educators, managers and leaders who are already reaping the benefits of thinking outside the brain.

Paul will be interviewed at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, in the Riverview Ballroom in the University Center, by Cathy Wurzer, a UWRF alum and Minnesota Public Television and Radio host. The event is free and open to the public.

The Extended Mind was selected as Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Nonfiction, was one of the 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction by the Washington Post and was named by the New York Times as a Notable Book. Her TED talk has been viewed more than 2.6 million times. Paul is a recipient of the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship, the Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship, and the Bernard L. Schwartz Fellowship at New America. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she is currently a Learning Sciences Exchange Fellow at New America. 

The UWRF Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning will host an on-campus book discussion of Paul’s book. 

“Annie Murphy Paul is an acclaimed science writer,” said Jenna Lindseth, Inauguration Committee chair. “Her approach to thinking is significant for all educational institutions and has a revolutionary framework to extend the brain’s power. Paul’s focus on the science of learning is an excellent fit as we at UWRF celebrate new leadership in Chancellor Gallo, who is dedicated to education.”

Chancellor Maria Gallo’s inauguration will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, in the Riverview Ballroom, University Center. To learn more about inauguration events, go to uwrf.edu/inauguration. The installation is open to all.

Gallo started as the 20th chancellor at UWRF in July 2021 after serving five years as president of Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, Penn. She was dean and director of Research and Cooperative Extension at the University of Hawaii in Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources from 2012 to 2016. Her research interests included plant molecular biology, plant genetics and plant-microbe interactions.

Before that, Gallo, a Fulbright Scholar, was a professor and chair of the University of Florida Agronomy Department where she specialized in crop improvement. She also taught three genetics courses.

In the mid-1990s, Gallo conducted research at the University of Minnesota Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, and the Plant Molecular Genetics Institute.

She earned her bachelor's degree in agronomy from Cornell University and both her master's degree in crop science and Ph.D. in genetics from North Carolina State University.