The University of Arizona will establish the Thomas G. Bever and Stuart R. Hameroff Chair in Consciousness Studies in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences with a $2 million gift commitment from Eugene Jhong, a retired Google software developer.

Image

"I'm honored to support this initiative recognizing Tom Bever for his foundational role in establishing the consciousness studies minor and Stuart Hameroff for his pioneering work on the theory of consciousness, called Orch OR, at the University of Arizona," said Jhong. 

"I am deeply grateful to Eugene Jhong for funding the Thomas G. Bever and Stuart R. Hameroff Chair in Consciousness Studies," said Lori Poloni-Staudinger, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. "His vision and generosity will allow us to expand opportunities for students in this cutting-edge and interdisciplinary field."

The chair will serve as director of the consciousness studies undergraduate minor, which is housed in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and whose curriculum centers on exploring consciousness through the integration of various disciplines, including linguistics, philosophy, computational sciences, biology, neuroscience, physics, anthropology, geography and psychology. 

Image

The inaugural holder is Thomas G. Bever, Regents Professor in the Department of Linguistics, with courtesy appointments in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, second language acquisition and teaching, and the BIO5 Institute. Bever is the director of the undergraduate consciousness studies minor and the Language and Cognition Lab. 

The chair is also named in honor of Stuart R. Hameroff, professor emeritus in the departments of anesthesiology and psychology, co-founder of the Center for Consciousness Studies, and research professor at the Arizona Space Institute. 

Jhong, who has long been fascinated by consciousness studies, met Hameroff at a University of Arizona Science of Consciousness Conference where Hameroff was presenting research related to Orch OR, the theory he co-developed with Roger Penrose. 

Bever's own work focuses on how humans organize language as a conscious experience. An interdisciplinary researcher and teacher with a focus on biolinguistics, which examines language as a biological process, he applies linguistics and cognitive science to understand language evolution, learning, and processing. He was also the co-founder and co-editor of the journal Cognition. 

Bever holds a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has received numerous awards, including the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's Senior Research Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

"I am grateful to have the chance to build on what we have achieved in the consciousness minor program so far and to enrich the experience of our undergraduates," Bever said. "The university historically has had unique strength in interdisciplinary opportunities for graduate students, and I am committed to showing how a new interdisciplinary program in consciousness can be organized to excite all undergraduates to think creatively and synthetically."

Developing a model for consciousness studies programs

Established in 2023 with support from a previous gift by Jhong, the consciousness studies minor currently has 26 students. The program has graduated six students, with six more slated to graduate this spring. 

Bever is eager to help lead the charge in establishing the university as a pioneer and model in this field of study, which, while considered new by some, is gaining broader awareness, he said. 

"Most important is to create at the University of Arizona a beacon for other universities with a nascent interest in consciousness studies by providing an example and materials to help them develop their own programs and potentially form an interuniversity community," Bever said. 

Sophomore Srishti Rajeev is a double major in bioinformatics and cellular biology and has five minors, including consciousness studies. Rajeev led the formation of the Consciousness Studies Club, which held its first meetings in the fall. The club fosters a community where students engage in discussions related to consciousness studies, including free will, epistemology, religion and emerging theories. It also aims to create a meaningful community impact while providing hands-on opportunities related to the minor.

During the 2024 Science of Consciousness Conference, students presented research during a plenary session. Their topics covered a range of perspectives, including integrated information theory, religious approaches to consciousness, and free will.

"Consciousness studies is so relevant to a myriad of domains, from politics, such as the abortion debate, to disease, to AI, and more," said Rajeev.  "It's such a fascinating and interdisciplinary field."

The Thomas G. Bever and Stuart R. Hameroff Chair in Consciousness Studies benefits from the U of A Eminent Scholars Program, established to assist the university in recruiting and retaining top faculty members. The program matches philanthropic investments with state funding and funds a one-time $100,000 award to support graduate students working with the holder of the chair.

"We are incredibly grateful to Eugene Jhong for his ongoing support of the consciousness studies program at the U of A," said John-Paul Roczniak, president and CEO of the University of Arizona Foundation. "This gift will provide students with the opportunity to explore this interdisciplinary field of study."

The $2 million gift commitment is part of the Fuel Wonder campaign, the university's $3 billion fundraising effort. Gifts already made to the campaign are giving every student access to a cohesive ecosystem of support, powering new insights into the human immunome and transforming research in areas including cancer, engineering, space sciences and the humanities.