As a founding member of the human complex systems program at
UCLA, Susanne Lohmann would probably want to study the web of human
interaction enveloping the UCLA political science department
““ that is, if she weren’t wrapped up in it.
Lohmann, a political science professor and director of the UCLA
Center for Governance, will likely resign from her position as a
result of departmental politics.
Lohmann is an internationally ranked economist and is well liked
by her students, but she said she might relocate to University of
Hamburg because the UCLA political science department has refused
to let her teach human complex systems, a prospective
interdisciplinary program that would explore social complexities
through simulation and modeling.
The University of Hamburg has offered Lohmann an endowed chair
that comes with several hundred thousand dollars in research
funding, and she said UCLA has not made a counter-offer. She
believes her participation in HCS has turned the department against
her.
“I said if they wanted to retain me they would have to
give me a 50 percent appointment in human complex systems and some
funding for it,” she said. “That’s what made my
chair go ballistic.”
But Michael Lofchie, chairman of the political science
department, is “frankly bewildered” by these
allegations.
“(Lohmann) has been told unambiguously that she can
cross-list political science courses with human complex systems,
when it comes into existence,” Lofchie said.
Lofchie said many political science professors also teach in
interdisciplinary programs like international development studies,
but that those professors are still employed by the department.
“Professor Lohmann may be under the misimpression that
these faculty members may have moved out of their department and
into a new unit. If she has that impression, it is not true,”
he said.
Lofchie said he was not aware of a problem with Lohmann teaching
any course that would be cross-listed with political science.
But Dwight Read, an anthropology professor and chairman of the
human complex systems committee, said he spoke with Lofchie and
said they could not reach a satisfactory agreement about
Lohmann’s participation.
Dario Nardi, a UCLA math professor who is currently teaching a
lab for human complex systems that simulates interactions with
robots, said many conflicting stories about Lohmann’s dilemma
have been circulating recently.
Marco Verweij, who taught policy studies at UCLA last spring and
is a professor at Singapore Management University, sees a darker
side of the situation.
Verweij said Lohmann made enemies in the political science
department when she shifted away from the department’s
adopted “rational choice” philosophy of economics
““ that people will logically follow their self-interests
““ and that she has occasionally been too outspoken for her
own good.
“I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, but in this
case I cannot think of any other reason … I think they are trying
to push her out of UCLA,” Verweij said.
Lofchie called Verweij’s suggestions “categorically
untrue.”
Bill McKelvey, a professor in the Anderson School of Management
who is slated to replace Lohmann on the core faculty for the
prospective human complex systems program, said the political
science department might be resistant to letting Lohmann teach in
human complex systems out of jealousy of their resources.
Lohmann has been one of the primary forces behind the
development of human complex systems at UCLA, but Read said it will
move ahead without her.
Read said HCS could not move forward because Lohmann was not
allowed to teach, but with McKelvey teaching in her place, the
proposal to make human complex systems a minor degree program will
go to the Academic Senate.
“This has forced Susanne to realize that she should make a
decision,” Read said.
“Her primary reason for staying here is human complex
systems, and now she has decided that there is no reason that she
should stay at UCLA,” he said.