Reclaiming Core Values in Higher Education - with Drs. Jessica and Ron Liebowitz

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Dr. Rachel Fish sits down with two leading voices in higher education - Dr. Jessica Liebowitz and Dr. Ron Liebowitz - to discuss the big questions facing the academy today.

How can universities reclaim their commitment to truth-seeking, intellectual integrity, and academic rigor—especially in a time of rising antisemitism and growing public distrust?

Jessica introduces an innovative AI-driven project designed to evaluate the quality of peer-reviewed scholarship in highly politicized fields, helping distinguish serious research from ideological activism.

Ron takes a broader view, examining the headwinds facing higher ed: declining enrollment, politicized classrooms, and the erosion of public confidence—and reflects on what real leadership and accountability should look like.

From academic publishing and AI to university governance, campus culture, and the role of trustees, this wide-ranging conversation offers insights and ideas for the future of higher education.

Guest Bios:

Dr. Jessica Liebowitz is a Research Scientist in Computer Science at Brandeis University, where she is co-founder and co-director of the Data Science Internal Internship (DSII) lab. Dr. Liebowitz also serves as the Chair of the Advisory Council of the Brandeis Hebrew Consortium, is a member of the Board of Directors of Fulbright Israel, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Following her role as lead telecommunications policy staffer for U.S. Senator Pete v Domenici, Liebowitz served as Adjunct Professor and Fellow at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information of the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. She holds a PhD from Harvard University, BA from Yale University, and Honorary Doctorate from Middlebury College.

Ron Liebowitz is president emeritus of Brandeis University and president emeritus of Middlebury College. He earned a BA from Bucknell University and a doctorate from Columbia University. As President of Brandeis University, Ron launched in the spring of 2023 an initiative to focus on antisemitism in higher ed, and also an initiative to deepen academic ties with institutions of higher ed in Israel as a response to growing BDS in the American academy. His scholarship has focused on the nationality question in the former Soviet Union and issues in higher education.  During his career, he has served as a department chair, dean of the faculty, provost, and president and was a trustee of a leading liberal arts college.