Year in Review
2022–23 Freedom Center Year in Review
Highlights from research, programs, partnerships, and public events.
From the Director
A note on the year’s momentum and the Freedom Center’s mission.
The 2022–23 academic year welcomed new leadership and a new chapter in the history of the Center for the Philosophy of Freedom. Saura Masconale, Associate Director and Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Economy and Moral Science, and I hit the ground running with new ideas and significant aspirations. Still, our mission remains the same: the interdisciplinary exploration of the many facets of freedom through our research, educational programs, and public events. We fulfill our mission with a commitment to be a hub for excellence, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity.
As you will read in this 2022–23 Year in Review, the Freedom Center is making an impact on campus and beyond through ground-breaking research, innovative educational programs, strategic partnerships, and high-profile public events. We have addressed major issues like the Great Reshuffling of America’s workforce, gender competitiveness, the fight to achieve equity in sports, and the difference between life under communism and the freedom we value in a democracy.
Freedom means something different to all of us. Understanding and appreciating that is what inspires us to be a resource and a catalyst that helps shape a brighter future.
Mary L. Rigdon
Freedom Center Director
Associate Professor, Department of Political Economy and Moral Science
Public Discussion Forum Series
Created by Mary L. Rigdon and Saura Masconale, these flagship events bring leaders and community members together around topics of broad public interest.
Women’s Equity in Sports: The Fight, The Scars, and the Thrill of Victory
Our third Public Discussion Forum (co-sponsored by the American Association of University Women Tucson (AZ) Branch) featured a panel of “literal superheroes,” according to Mary L. Rigdon, who organized the panel with Kathryn Bertine.
Panelists included Adia Barnes, AJ Mleczko, Sarah Spain, Kathrine Switzer, and moderator Damien Alameda.
The Great Reshuffling: A Perfect Storm or the New Norm?
Our second Public Discussion Forum, organized by Saura Masconale, addressed the workforce phenomena known as “The Great Reshuffling.” The panel included Morgan Stanley Chief Legal Officer Eric Grossman, Arizona Coyotes President & CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez, National Review Senior Editor Jay Nordlinger, and UArizona Vice President & CHRO Helena A. Rodrigues.
Engaging Leaders
Talks, launches, and partnerships connecting research to public life.
Rigdon Featured at SXSW 2023 on What Motivates Women to Compete
Mary L. Rigdon gave a talk, Mythbusting: Women, Competitiveness, and Equity, at UArizona’s Wonder House at SXSW 2023.
“It’s time to change the system, not the women.”
Freedom Center Launches Oral History Collection for Use in Arizona Schools
Produced in collaboration with the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and approved by the Arizona State Board of Education for use in state schools.
Freedom Center Leaders Meet with Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee
Mary L. Rigdon and Saura Masconale met with Treasurer Kimberly Yee in Phoenix to explore partnership opportunities around shared priorities like financial literacy and teacher education.
Featured FC Partner: James E. Rogers College of Law
Collaboration across academic programs, symposiums, and events exploring law and freedom.
Master of Legal Studies, Law & Economics Concentration
Created by Saura Masconale in partnership with the UArizona James E. Rogers College of Law, the Law & Economics concentration for the Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degree is designed specifically for elected officials, high school teachers, public sector professionals, and students pursuing careers working with agencies, governments, or corporations.
Tailored for Legislators: Strengthens understanding of law, regulation, economic theory, and empirical methods.
Supporting Educators: Strengthens social studies, economics, and government teaching skills and career opportunities.
Premier European Law Schools: Discussions underway on international dual degree opportunities.
Reinventing the Canon: Great Torts Cases of the 21st Century
On April 14–15, 2023, the UArizona James E. Rogers College of Law and Center for the Philosophy of Freedom hosted a symposium with partners including Harvard Law School, University of Oxford Faculty of Law, and the American Law Institute.
Spring Training in Phoenix: MLB General Counsels Panel
During the 2023 Cactus League Spring Training season, Arizona Law, the Freedom Center, and the Sports Lawyers Association hosted legal experts from Major League Baseball for a panel discussion and breakout sessions exploring the wide range of issues that lawyers in professional sports address.
Partnership Events
Collaborations expanding student opportunities and civic education.
PPEL Undergraduate Summer School in San Diego
A collaboration with the Freedom Center, the UArizona Department of Political Economy and Moral Science, the University of San Diego’s Center for Ethics, Economics, & Public Policy, and Chapman University’s Smith Institute.
Builds on Freedom Center partnerships since 2016 across the U.S. and Europe (including Italy, France, and Romania).
Foundations of Civic Culture (Teachers Summit)
The Freedom Center and Cato Institute’s Sphere Education Initiatives hosted a two-day summit, Foundations of Civic Culture, supporting free speech, civil discourse, and respect for diverse viewpoints.
Freedom Center Scholarship
Research conversations on corporate engagement, autonomy, and global order.
Roundtable: “Corporations, Activism, and Political Issues”
Saura Masconale and Simone M. Sepe organized a roundtable discussion with invited faculty and graduate students, featuring Berkeley Law Professor Frank Partnoy and University of Cambridge Professor Brian R. Cheffins.
Sir Paul Tucker: Global Discord Conversation
On December 1, 2022, the Freedom Center hosted Sir Paul Tucker with UArizona scholars to discuss Global Discord: Values and Power in a Fractured World Order.
Research Spotlights
Faculty, post-docs, and visiting fellows advancing interdisciplinary scholarship.
The New Corporate Citizen?
Saura Masconale and Simone Sepe examine the boom in ESG initiatives and “activist corporations” in their article Citizen Corp. Learn More & Read Article
Autonomy & the Enforcement of Morality
Freedom Center Philosopher Steven Wall previews two forthcoming book chapters on morality, autonomy, and real-world implications. Learn More
Post-Doctoral Research Spotlight
Johanna Jauernig and Kaveh Pourvand support academic and educational initiatives while continuing their research. Learn More
Visiting Fellow Research Spotlight
The Freedom Center Visiting Fellows program welcomes distinguished scholars for 1 to 6 weeks in an academic year, maximizing engagement with faculty, graduate students, and the University community.
Kit Wellman
Christopher Heath (Kit) Wellman, Professor of Philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis, completed a four-week visit while working on a book project on forfeiture.
Learn More
Bart J. Wilson
Bart J. Wilson, Professor of Economics and Law at Chapman University, advanced research on property rights while receiving interdisciplinary feedback from Center experts.
Learn MoreFreedom Center Talks
Scholarly talks fostering innovation, collaboration, and interdisciplinary discussion.
Spring 2023
- Justin Bruner (University of Arizona) — “Voting Method by Agreement”
- André Ariew (University of Missouri) — “Why is the Theory of Natural Selection so Hard to Understand?”
- Christian F. Rostbøll (University of Copenhagen) — “Polarization and the Democratic System: Kinds, Reasons, and Sites”
- Mark Lehrer (Suffolk University) — “Liberating Effects of Positive Freedom…”
- Kaveh Pourvand (University of Arizona) — “Epistemic Symmetry and Institutional Evaluation”
- Anne Rathbone Bradley (The Fund for American Studies) — “Human Flourishing and Economic Freedom”
Fall 2022
- Mary L. Rigdon (University of Arizona) — “Gender Differences in Competitiveness…”
- Eric Schliesser (University of Amsterdam) — “Adam Smith, Kant’s Perpetual History…”
- Adrian Blau (King’s College London) — “Justifying (Some) Thought Experiments”
- Fylgi Zoega (University of Iceland) — “Does Mandatory Saving Crowd Out Voluntary Saving?”
- Kit Wellman (Washington University in St. Louis) — “Thomson on Agent-Relative Prerogatives”
- Daniel Herwitz (University of Michigan) — “Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party…”
- Johanna Jauernig (University of Arizona) — “Price Gouging? Says Who?”
- Simone Sepe (University of Arizona) — “Proportional Disgorgement and the Communion of Saints”