It’s not a splashy solution, but the impact can be immediate. Learning how to listen–to really listen–may be one of the most powerful ways we have to build community and make change. That’s why, at The University of Mississippi, Professor Graham Bodie has been so committed to teaching his students how to hear one another, especially around hard issues.

In this interactive skill-sharing session, we encountered a new perspective on listening, grounded in both research and practice. First, we experienced how one of the foremost scholars of listening helps his students cultivate what he calls Listening Intelligence. Then North Central College’s Professor Maureen Spelman explored how listening can become an act of character–a practice that cultivates empathy (and can even move us toward compassion) and draws on curiosity, intellectual humility, and patience. Together we grow our listening intelligence, our sense of community, and our capacity to stay in dialogue even when it’s difficult. Hosted by Juliana Tafur, GGSC’s Bridging Differences Program Director.

  • Juliana Tafur

    Juliana Tafur directs the Bridging Differences program at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, advancing skills and strategies to connect across geography, race, religion, politics, and more. She’s spent more than a decade designing experiences that foster understanding and belonging, both as a social entrepreneur/workshop creator, and as an Emmy-nominated storyteller. A TEDx speaker, she leads science-based trainings for campuses, organizations, and communities, and makes bridge-building practical and accessible through partnerships, multimedia content, speaking engagements, and workshops. Juliana is an honors graduate of Northwestern University and a 2021–22 Obama Foundation Scholar at Columbia University.

  • Maureen Spelman Ed.D. serves as Professor and Program Director of Educational Leadership and Leadership in Higher Education at North Central College. Her research and leadership initiatives, supported by the Kern Family Foundation, focus on cultivating ethical school leaders and strengthening school cultures that promote character and excellence.

  • Graham Bodie, Ph.D. serves as Professor of Media and Communication at The University of Mississippi. His research, teaching, and consulting center on how to improve listening for better relationships. He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in communication from Auburn University and his Ph.D. from Purdue University. Dr. Bodie is an internationally recognized expert on listening and has published over 90 monographs, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries. His most recent co-edited project, The Handbook of Listening (Wiley-Blackwell), is the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary resource on the topic.