UROP Fall Research Forum

Marvin Gaye’s protest anthem ‘What’s Going On’ was a powerful and groundbreaking song and album at the time of its release in 1971, but fast forward 50 years later it is sadly still just as relevant for the world in 2021.  The racial reckoning sparked during 2020 was historic in the widespread acknowledgement of pervasive structural racism and resulting disparate inequities and injustices impacting minoritized communities and communities of color in the U.S.and around the globe.  The subject of police brutality and racial injustices is being discussed as much today as it was 50+ years ago.  

The narrative in ‘What’s Going On’ is told from the point of view of a Vietnam veteran returning home to America to witness hatred, suffering, division, and injustice.  Gaye’s lyrics express the pervasive anguish over racism, poverty, the environment, war, police brutality, and the deepening social divides and discontent.  His songs were an imploring emotional appeal that beautifully captured the nation’s yearning for healing and solutions. 

The UROP Fall Research Forum will spotlight research around the theme: “What’s Going On: Increasing Understanding and Exploring Possibilities Through Impactful and Action-Oriented Research“. It’s titled in part to honor this year’s 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s innovative and influential work. The ways that Marvin Gaye combined jazz, gospel, classical music orchestration in the album which is indeed suggestive of how “out of the box” creative approaches can lead to exciting new breakthroughs, especially in research!  Today we highlight impactful research by our students and mentors that examine “What’s Going On” in our own troubled times, and help to point towards healing and solutions.

Fall Forum Program