The Wicked Problems class was first developed on campus by the Department of Philosophy. It engages students across a semester on the solution of a particular wicked problem. The class participates in the Wicked Festival and is a starting point for the Wicked Minor.
The Wicked Problems minor is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Departments of Political Science and Philosophy & Religious Studies that focuses on problems that are persistent and complex, or “wicked,” and of a public nature.
The Wicked Festival is an exposition for students to share their work and becoming "authorities" on public problems.
Wicked Problems Toolkit
Tay Keong Tan, Ph.D., and a team of Radford students are curating a collection of
online resources to teach and solve wicked problems. These resources are being developed
for the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (UN PRME) faculty
working group and will benefit faculty and students all over the world.
Wicked Student Society
Students interested in wicked problems have formed a Wicked Student Society, a student
club focused on wicked problems. The academic club allows students to further their
research in wicked problems and connect with leaders and scholars at Radford, in the
Commonwealth of Virginia, and beyond. With advisor, Dr. Tay Keong Tan, in 2024, students
traveled to Berlin, Germany to present their Wicked Problems research. In 2023, they
traveled to Lisbon, Portugal. They have also represented the Wicked Initiative at
high-profile events like the visit of representatives from the State Council on Higher
Education of Virginia to Radford.
For more information, please contact Tay Keong Tan, Ph.D., Wicked Advisor and Professor of Political Science.
In September 2024, Meg Konkel, Ph.D. (Design) and Paige Tan, Ph.D. (Political Science) were interviewed on With Good Reason, a public radio program highlighting innovations in teaching the Humanities in the state of Virginia.
In November 2023, the Wicked Festival was highlighted in the Roanoke Times.
The Spring 2024 Wicked Festival from Marketing and Communication
The Fall 2023 Wicked Festival from Marketing and Communication
Fall 2023 Marketing and Communication story on Wicked Society trip to Lisbon, Portugal