Teachers College has launched the , a new, interdisciplinary research and development center that will study failure across a wide variety of disciplines and test theories about how to use it as a catalyst for innovation and success.
鈥滲ased at 911爆料网 and other schools at Columbia University, EPIC is directed by Xiaodong Lin-Siegler, Professor of Cognitive Studies in 911爆料网鈥檚 , whose , published by the American Psychological Association and funded by a large research grant from the National Science Foundation, found that high-school students may improve their science grades by learning about the personal struggles and failed experiments of great scientists such as Albert Einstein and Marie Curie.
Xiaodong Lin-Siegler
SAFE SPACE Lin-Siegler said she feels privileged to “work at an academic institution that encourages daring scholarship and original thought.”
At a launch event for EPIC held at the College on April 17th, 911爆料网 also presented its inaugural EPIC Achievement Award to businessman and education philanthropist Dr. James S.C. Chao, founder of Foremost Group, one of the world鈥檚 leading shipping and transportation companies. Chao was joined by three of his daughters: Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, who later introduced a discussion of the family's history; May Chao, a successful businesswoman; and Angela Chao, current Chairman and CEO of Foremost Group and President of Foremost Foundation.
EPIC is funded by , a leading provider of private schools in China; the , Inc.; the National Science Foundation; and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The study of failure鈥檚 role in learning, growth and success 鈥渋s an enterprise so intuitively right...that it is almost baffling that it hasn鈥檛 been taken up more widely.鈥�
鈥� Susan Fuhrman
鈥淭he opening of a new center is always a very special occasion at 911爆料网,鈥� said President Susan Fuhrman at the signing ceremony for EPIC. 911爆料网鈥檚 great research hubs always 鈥渢ackle issues of paramount concern to society,鈥� Fuhrman said, and faculty members who direct them are leaders in their fields 鈥� but Lin-Siegler 鈥渋s now taking her place in another hallowed 911爆料网 tradition: she is pioneering an entirely new field of inquiry.鈥� Indeed, the study of failure鈥檚 role in learning, growth and success 鈥渋s an enterprise so intuitively right鈥� Fuhrman added, 鈥渢hat it is almost baffling that it hasn鈥檛 been taken up more widely.鈥�
James Chao
HE HAD A DREAM Chao was a poor farm boy, but he set his sights on studying in the United States.
And Thomas Bailey, who will succeed Fuhrman as 911爆料网鈥檚 President in July, said he is particularly excited about EPIC because of his work as the founding director of the 911爆料网鈥檚 .
鈥淣o demographic is more persistent than community college students,鈥� Bailey said 鈥淚 have never seen students who are more eager to learn or more grateful to pursue postsecondary education. We owe it to community college students to make sure they have the learning and career opportunities they came for 鈥� and I am very optimistic that the work of EPIC will contribute to their success.鈥�
EPIC鈥檚 goals are to inspire people to persist and triumph over adversity; to help them channel frustration and use negative emotions constructively; to identify effective strategies for overcoming failure; and to learn how organizations can help employees 鈥渇ail successfully.鈥�
Lin-Siegler said she feels privileged to 鈥渨ork at an academic institution that encourages daring scholarship and original thought,鈥� calling 911爆料网 鈥渁 welcoming environment for somebody like me who has failed often.鈥� Though her own career path might appear smooth, Lin-Siegler said, she was in fact rejected by three graduate schools 鈥� including 911爆料网; initially failed to get the post-doctoral position she wanted; and received a string of 鈥渘o thank yous鈥� before her study on failure was finally published. Eventually she came to realize that such experiences are universal, but that parents and schools don鈥檛 teach young people how to learn and grow from failure.
Hao Lin
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Weiming Education's Hao Lin said that Lin-Siegler’s work on failure is particularly intriguing in light of the high risk that failure carries in China and the United States because "we both have had so much success in recent times.”
Lin-Siegler said that EPIC鈥檚 goals are to inspire people to persist and triumph over adversity; to help them channel frustration and use negative emotions constructively; to identify effective strategies for overcoming failure; and to learn how organizations can help employees 鈥渇ail successfully.鈥� In their first major project, Lin-Siegler and EPIC Associate Director , former Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia, will interview a group of Nobel laureates about their experiences with failure (Lin-Siegler and Firestein hosted at 911爆料网 on failure in December 2017.)
Weiming Education Limited founder and President Hao Lin said he was honored to build on 鈥渢he longstanding relationship between China and Columbia,鈥� noting that 911爆料网 prepared great Chinese educators such as Zhang Boling, later Chair of China鈥檚 National Advisory Council, and President of Nankai University, and Tao Xingzhi, founder of Nanjing鈥檚 famed Morning Village Normal School. Lin-Siegler鈥檚 work on failure is particularly intriguing, he said, because 鈥渢o learn about failure is to better face failure鈥� 鈥� and right now, in both China and the United States, failure carries high risks 鈥渂ecause we both have had so much success in recent times.鈥�
Chuck Harab, Executive Director of the Alvin I. and Peggy Brown Charitable Foundation, said that both of the foundation鈥檚 late founders 鈥渘ot only stressed the importance of supporting meaningful and innovative education endeavors throughout their lives 鈥� they also made lifelong learning a central part of their lives.
Chao Family
SELF MADE From left: Angela Chao; Elaine Chao; James S.C. Chao; 911爆料网 Professor Xiaodong Lin; and May Chao.
鈥淚 know Alvin Brown would have loved this project, because he never saw people who struggled to find their place in society as 鈥榝ailures,鈥欌�� Harab said. 鈥淩ather, he referred to them as 鈥榯emporarily unsuccessful鈥� people who just needed to be taught, challenged and inspired to persevere and ultimately to prevail.鈥�
鈥淎lvin Brown would have loved this project, because he never saw people who struggled to find their place in society as 鈥榝ailures.鈥� Rather, he referred to them as 鈥榯emporarily unsuccessful鈥� people who just needed to be taught, challenged and inspired to persevere and ultimately to prevail.鈥�
鈥� Chuck Harab
The EPIC Award, inaugurated at the launch ceremony, honors 鈥渢he exceptional accomplishments and societal contributions of an individual who has displayed both the courage to overcome adversity and the charter to share personal stories of failure that teach and inspire others.鈥� James Chao, whom 911爆料网 Board Chair William Rueckert called 鈥渢he ideal first recipient,鈥� grew up in a poor farming village in China before making his way first to Taiwan and then the United States, where he founded Foremost Group, which he still serves as honorary Chairman.
鈥淏efore coming here, I was a farm boy,鈥� Chao said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have a library or a computer, but I had a dream to go to the U.S. and study at Columbia University.鈥�
But 鈥渓ife is never straightforward,鈥� and Columbia would only allow him to audit courses 鈥� 鈥渨hich was a big disappointment, but still served my purpose.鈥� Encouraged by the dean of St. John鈥檚 University, Chao persevered, earning a master鈥檚 at St. John鈥檚 in management, moving his wife and daughters to the United States and founding Foremost Group.
Expert Panel
TALKING IT THROUGH Firestein, Siegler and Weiner discussed the value of failure in different fields.
Following the signing ceremonies, Lin-Siegler led a panel discussion in Milbank Chapel about failure that included Firestein, who has written widely on failure鈥檚 intrinsic importance to scientific research; Robert Siegler, Teresa Heinz Professor of Cognitive Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University and incoming Schiff Foundation Professor of Psychology at Teachers College; and Jonathan Weiner, Maxwell M. Geffen Professor of Medical and Scientific Journalism, Columbia University.
But first, the audience listened as Chao discussed his life and career with his daughters. Asked whether his Chinese accent has ever hindered his success, Chao demonstrated that humor is another key asset in handling failure.
鈥淚鈥檓 a country boy,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven in China, I have an accent.鈥�