About
Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions started during the summer of 2020 and became a successful interdisciplinary and collaborative experience for NC State students, faculty and staff.
In 2020, a team spearheaded by former Senior Vice Provost Louis Hunt, Senior Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship Tom Miller and Associate Department Head of Biological Studies Jane Lubischer created Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions, made especially for incoming first-year and transfer students.
The vision for Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions was for a brand new, innovative, interdisciplinary experience. A free, two-credit hour course that emphasized what a college education is all about — different ways of thinking, different perspectives, and solving big problems.
What surprised me was that while everyone had a part to play, solving wicked problems is a team sport that requires cooperation and teamwork to come up with wicked solution.
Incoming Student Reflection
Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions Winter 2021
Our Goals
- Interdisciplinarity: Explore how NC State faculty and other experts from a wide variety of disciplines each offer valuable, evidence-based perspectives and solutions to the wicked problems of the world and envision the contributions you can make.
- Transition: Discover and develop skills, strategies and relationships needed to thrive at NC State and beyond.
- Intentionality: Reflect on how to make informed, value- and goal-driven decisions about your own university experience. Create a conceptual framework for your college education to help guide decisions about majors, minors, courses, and co-curricular experiences.
- Community: See yourselves and others as valuable, contributing and cared-for members of the NC State family. Identify where and how you can connect with experiences and with other people to develop your own sense of belonging.
Current Team
Listed in alphabetical order.
- Jill Anderson, Senior Instructional Technologist, DELTA
- Clément Bordas, Associate Director of Web Development and User Experience, EMAS
- Todd Buker, Media Lead/Instructional Media Producer, DELTA
- Michael Castro, Lead Production Coordinator, DELTA
- Karen Ciccone, Lead Librarian for Public Science, NC State University Libraries
- Paul Couture, Research Specialist, DELTA
- Dr. Rob Dunn, Senior Vice Provost of Interdisciplinary University Programs and Professor, Department of Applied Ecology
- Caroline Funkhouser, Assistant Director of Communication, Office of Undergraduate Admissions
- Dr. Holly Hurlburt, Associate Dean, University College and Professor, Department of History
- Kathleen Kramer, Communications Manager, DELTA
- Dr. Jane Lubischer, Teaching Professor, Biological Sciences
- Caitlin McKeown, Senior Instructional Designer, DELTA
- Relly Moorer, Advanced Videographer/Production Operations, DELTA
- Dr. Melissa Ramirez, Teaching Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
- Merranie Zellweger, Director of Project Management, DELTA
Support
Creating the Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions courses is a truly collaborative effort between several NC State departments and individuals.
