by Isabelle Camoin ’26 on February 5, 2026
News
On Friday, Jan. 30, the Humanities Forum hosted alumnus Dr. Michael Sullivan ’88 to speak about “Truth, Courage, and the Discipline of Perception Under Pressure.” Dr. Iain Bernhoft and Sullivan sat down in the Ruane Center for the Humanities 105 to discuss his work in law and research in individuals’ perceptions under extreme circumstances, especially states of warfare.
Sullivan, after graduating from Providence College, received a masters degree from Tufts University and went on to achieve his juris doctorate at Northeastern University. He now is a professor at American University in their department of justice, law and criminology. His work has brought him to Kosovo, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Baghdad, and many other countries. While introducing him,. Bernhoft even mentioned that. Sullivan played a role in helping to draft the language used in the Iraqi constitution that was written in Baghdad.. Sullivan recounted his time spent in Baghdad and what it feels like to be in a warzone, explaining that one can never predict what it feels like until you are actually in it.
One of the questions Bernhoft raised to Sullivan was about how one can maintain moral clarity in extreme circumstances, such as living in a warzone. The talk concluded with its status quo procedure of having a student ask the first question. Many were curious about the uncovering and existence of an objective truth, especially in a state of extreme threat.